Eternal Snow
by Serena-hime
Summary: Life seemed boring for Cat Tsuru. But one day, destiny knocked at her door and Cat finds herself in an unfamiliar place. Soon after she makes new friends, along with discovering a secret in her bloodline. Life doesn't seem as boring and basic anymore.
1. Introduction

Intro:

Hey guys! Thanks for viewing my story!

I just want to clear some things out before people start assuming things...

1. My character's name is "Cat" for a special reason. Not because I'm like: "LIEK OMFG! I LUV KITTY CATZ! MEOW MEW!!1" No, no, no. Please don't get the wrong idea. Cat was named Cat after a deceased friend of mine.

2. Even though my friends call me "Cat" because of my character, me and Cat are not the same person.

3. This story will be following the Yugioh storyline. Although a few chapters may sound like I'm just writing out a Yugioh episode. If some chapters seem like that, then sorry, that's a mistake. Lol :P

4. Some things are related to "Full Moon O Sagashite", mostly because of the songs. So don't be surprised. Oh yeah, I don't own any of the songs.

5. I DO NOT own any of the characters in there. But I do own Cat Tsuru. Thank you. :)

Enjoy my story:D


	2. What do you mean by Destiny?

"Excellent work today! We will continue where we left off next time."

The teacher dismissed her class. She was the singing teacher.

The teacher watched the class leave and sighed. Turning her head, she spotted the girl who was always last out of the classroom.

Whenever she saw any of her students, their name would pop up in her head.

The name of this student?

"Cat Tsuru…how come you're always last out of the class room?" The teacher asked, folding her arms across her chest in a confused manner.

The girl's deep blue eyes looked up at her teacher from her bag.

"I-I'm sorry…" She apologized quietly, trying to pack up the rest of her things. "I guess I'm just a little slow."

Cat was a young 15-year-old high school girl. Her skin was pale and her hair was brown; eyes a beautiful blue.

She had two bangs split that hung down the sides of her face and she always kept her hair in a ponytail. It was long and went down to her hips.

That day, she was wearing blue jeans, red tennis shoes, a blue tangtop and a tan jacket.  
The season was a little ways into spring, and the temperature that day was perfect for jackets.

Cat had a thin and fragile figure, but she was a little more athletic than her figure let on.

And lastly, but certainly not least, was her silver cartouche that she never took off. Her name was on the front in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

On the back was a mysterious name also in Egyptian hieroglyphics. But no one could figure out what they said.

But it didn't bother Cat too much.

"You don't need to apologize, Cat. I was only curious." The teacher said with a small smile.

Cat returned the smile weakly and stood up, dropping a couple of pens and pencils clumsily before retrieving them.

"I'll see you later." Cat said over her shoulder, heading to the doorway.

"Wait…Cat…do you have a moment? If you're late to your next class, I'll make sure the teacher knows I was talking to you." The teacher stopped her.

Cat turned around and walked up to her. "Yeah…sure." She said and stopped in front of her.

The teacher sat in a nearby chair and looked at Cat.  
"You seem kind of reluctant lately. I know you usually don't sing very loud, but there's just been something different about you lately. Almost as if you don't want to sing at all.

I know what talent you have and I know that you're a wonderful singer. Does this have something to do with the title you earned here?" She asked.

Cat blinked a couple of times.  
"Well…not really. I don't care about that, "best singer in the school" type of thing. I guess I just haven't been feeling like singing much lately…I've been having some weird dreams recently so…I don't sleep as well as I wish I could." She explained.

The teacher nodded. "I understand." She said. "Weird dreams can effect people during the day sometimes. Plus there are times where an artist, no matter what field they practice in, will have a bad day or more. It happens. Well, I guess you should head off to your next class. And since that's the last class of the day, once you get home, try to get some rest. Okay?"

Cat nodded slowly. "Alright." She said.

"Good." The teacher smiled just as the bell rang. "Whoops! I guess I kept you longer than I had hoped. Let's go. I'll tell the teacher that I was talking to you."

Cat nodded slowly again and the two walked out of the classroom.

The door clicked shut as Cat leaned against it with her back. She sighed heavily and put her things in the same spot she always did before going to her room and flopping on her bed tiredly. She's been feeling more and more tired for some reason. She wasn't sure why.

Turning her head a little, she spotter her cartouche.

Cat stared at it, remembering how she received it.

When her grandmother was on her dying bed, she handed Cat the cartouche. Telling her that she believed it was destiny that she would receive the cartouche. It had Cat's name on the front.

Though her grandmother confessed she was a little confused. According to the history of the cartouche, the first owner's name was "Luna". But it said "Cat" now.

No one really knew what happened.

When Cat was about to ask more about the history of their family heirloom, it was too late. Her grandmother died before she could say anything.

Cat reached over and gripped her cartouche. She was determined to figure out the history to it. There HAD to be someone that knew about it. But who?

As the question formed in her mind, she felt her cartouche slowly getting warmer…and it wasn't because she was gripping it in her hand.

Cat quickly sat up and opened her hand, looking down at the cartouche.

It was…glowing?

Cat slowly stood up from her bed and continued to stare down at the cartouche in her hand.

"I don't recall this having a flashlight installed." She joked to herself in a mummered voice.

After her little joke, all of the sudden, something else started to glow. She quickly turned in the direction of the glow and spotted a card on her desk.

She walked over to the card, remembering that she received it from someone in a dream…but she wasn't sure who it was.

But what REALLY confused her was the fact that she got the card in a dream…but it somehow appeared on her desk when she woke up.

She still couldn't figure it out. Nor could she figure out what kind of card it was. It looked like it belonged to a game…but no game she's ever heard of.

(A/N: Okay, actually she THOUGHT it was a dream, but it really wasn't. And she wasn't asleep at the time. I'm making one-shot based around this. You'll see.)

When Cat stopped in front of the desk where the card was resting, the card suddenly started to glow brighter, as in response with Cat's cartouche.  
Cat had to shield her eyes because of the bright light. But when she re-opened them…a girl was sitting on her desk, smiling at Cat.

Cat blinked at the girl, confused for a moment, before screaming and jumping back.

The girl blinked and then frowned lightly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hey…I'm not THAT frightening, am I?" She asked.

Cat just kept her distance, looking rather scared.

"Who…w-who are you?" She was able to stutter.

The smile returned to the girl's face.  
"Don't tell me you've forgotten me already." She said and pointed to herself. "I'm the Dark Magician Girl. You know…from the "mysterious" card?"

Cat paused and stared at the Dark Magician Girl for a moment.

She DID look familiar…she was telling the truth! She was the same girl on the mysterious card she received in her dream!

The Dark Magician girl had green eyes, little pink blushing cheeks, blond hair that stuck up a little at the end of her hair and pale skin.

She wore a large blue and pink pointy hat that curled a little.

In her hand, she held a rod. It had a yellow gem at the end and a large swirl like sphere at the top. The rod itself was blue.

Her clothes were a little strange. She had a gold necklace with a red gem on it and strange arm cuffs/gloves that had red gems on it. And the gloves/cuffs themselves were blue and pink.

She wore a red gem as a broach and she wore blue and pink boots with a red gem on each boot.

Her sleeves were on her shoulders and her whole outfit was pink and blue. She had a pink like cape at the top of her outfit and on the bottom.

The outfit she wore was short and her legs were bare. One flap of her dress hung in the middle of her legs.

"Well…let's get to the point…you're probably wondering why I'm here." The Dark Magician Girl said.

Cat nodded.

"To put it simply, The Pharaoh is waiting for you." The Dark Magician Girl said.

Cat blinked. "The "Pharaoh…?" That's…not possible. Pharaoh's don't exist in this era." She said slowly.

"Oh, it's possible. There is only one Pharaoh that exists in this era and he's waiting for you." The Dark Magician Girl said.

"Whoa, hold on." Cat said, holding up her hands. "What makes you so sure?"

The Dark Magician Girl silently pointed at Cat's cartouche. "That's your biggest sign." She said. "You do know that, that cartouche has a special secret and tragic history to it, right?"

"I-I've always known it had some sort of history! It's my family's heirloom! But…before my grandmother could pass the history to me, she died." Cat said and then shook her head. "But this is all too strange. How do I know I can believe you? The age of the Pharaoh is over."

"You got my card from your dreams, right? And that cartouche goes back to an ancient Egyptian past, right? And I came from the card, sitting here, talking to you. What more proof do you need?" The Dark Magician Girl asked.

Cat was silent.

"If you have nothing more to say, I'll take you to your destiny now." The Dark Magician Girl said and rose her rod in the air.

Cat opened her mouth to say something, but the Dark Magician Girl's rod suddenly started to emit pink light until the whole room was full.

Cat covered her eyes from the bright light.

The first thing Cat heard was the chatter of people. Slowly, she opened her eyes. When she came back into focus, she fully opened her eyes, wide, and gasped.

She was standing in some sort of city where a bunch of people were gathered…and it was already nighttime. But the lights of the city lit the way for the people.

Cat covered her mouth.

"Where am I?!" She squeaked to herself. "And where did the Dark Magician Girl send me? I could be in another world for all I know!"

Trying not to panic, Cat looked around and found a nearby bench.

She made her way over to it and sat down, noticing that she had a backpack on her back. She wondered why she didn't notice it before. It felt a little heavy.

Taking it off, she opened it up and started digging through her bag.

She paused and pulled out a large white, blue and red device.

"What's…this?" She asked herself, blinking with curiosity. She examined the strange device until she found the words…

"Duel Disk?" What is it and where did it come from?" She asked herself.

Setting that aside, she continued to look through. There was some money…a couple of CDs…her Mp3 player…and that was it.

She set the backpack aside after returning the duel disk back into her backpack. Looking down, she examined herself to see if anything on her had changed.  
Same clothes she was wearing when she left…and her silver cartouche was still there. Good.

Cat then moved her hands to stick them in her pockets, to check if there was anything there. But she stopped when she felt something unusual.

She looked down and noticed she was wearing a black belt with a little carrier on her right side. She opened it and took out its contents.

"Cards?" She asked, looking through them. They looked awfully similar to the Dark Magician Girl's card.

She stopped when she found the Dark Magician Girl's card. Cat put the rest of the cards back in the carrier and looked at the Dark Magician Girl card in her hand.

"Hey! Dark Magician Girl! Can you hear me? Where did you take me? How do I get home? Hello? HELLO?" She cried to the card, but stopped when she heard the mummers of the people around her. She looked up, embarrassed at the people staring at her.

Quickly, she put the Dark Magician Girl back in her carrier and tried to act normal.

"Well…this isn't good. I don't know where I am. It's nighttime. And the person who took me here isn't responding. What should I do?" She whimpered to herself, worriedly.

Cat looked around and spotted some strange looking people.

A guy with bright blue-green hair in a bowl cut with gold glasses. He looked like a kid and wore a shirt that was the same color of his hair and black shorts. He didn't look very nice.

Moving on, she spotted another guy with a red and purple beanie and black fuzzy, long hair.

He wore a vest and a sweatshirt with jeans. He also looked kind of like a kid and he was sitting with the first guy she spotted. He didn't look all that kind either.

Her eyes continued to search the area, spotting a couple of weird figures.

But her eyes stopped when she saw a guy and a girl standing with each other, talking with another woman.

The man had strange spiky hair that looked like it was three different colors.

Black, Gold, and Crimson/purple. He also had sharp eyes that were violet/crimson. He was slightly taller than Cat and wore a large golden pendant around his neck in the shape of an upside down pyramid. A chain was holding up the pendant.

The rest of the man's clothes were black. A black buckle collar, a black tangtop, black pants with two belts, and black boots.

He had some trinkets on his arms as well.

One of the girls he was standing with had strange short, brown hair. She had blue eyes and wore a pink jacket with a yellow tube top under it. She wore a couple of bracelets and had pink shorts on. She also wore long black leggings with high pink sandals that looked like they were 3-4 inches high! She also carried a bag with her.

And lastly, was the woman they were talking too. She had messy blond hair and violet sharp eyes. She wore red lipstick and had a purple vest, along with a white tube top under it with white, long arm gloves that had her fingers sticking out.

She wore a purple skirt with knee-high black high-heeled boots. She also wore a couple of belts.

The woman looked a little tough.

Cat's attention returned to the strange spiky haired man with the golden pendant. She was getting a weird feeling from him. She just wasn't sure what it was all about.

All of the sudden, a vision popped into Cat's head, freezing her for a moment.

She saw herself in a strange orange and green school-like uniform. She was looking staring at the man standing in front of her. She looked scared of him...

The man was wearing a blue school-like uniform. She couldn't see his head, so she couldn't tell if she recognized the man or not.

After a moment she snapped back to reality and shook her head.

"Wha? What was that all about?" She asked herself.

Suddenly, the large TV screens that were hung all over the plaza interrupted her thoughts. A man appeared on them.

He had a smug look on his face.

The new man had brown hair that looked a little longer down his neck and cold blue eyes.

He wore a black sweatshirt and a large white trench coat with the letters, "KC" on them. The outfit also had some buckle-like straps on his arms. But that's all Cat could see since only half of his body filled the screen.

"Welcome to my tournament! Since you're all elite duelists, I've added special rules to my tournament. You'll use my all new Duel Disks to play and each duelist with ante up their most rarest card." The man on the screen said. "And the loser must forfeit their card to the winner."

Cat heard some people complain a little about not wanting to lose their most rarest card.

"My competition will make Pegasus's Duelist Kingdom look like a joke!" The man finally said.

Right after that, a sudden wind picked up.

Cat and all the other people looked up to see a helicopter flying overhead them, with the man looking down on them, standing on the landing strut.

"Everyone, make sure to register and pick up your duel disks, because Battle City begins in one week from today!" The man cried.

As the helicopter left, the wind started to calm down.

Some people mummered to each other as they left the area.

Cat brushed some of her bangs out of her face.

"Well…that was odd. I have a duel disk…does that mean that I have to be a part of this "tournament" too?" She asked herself and turned her attention back to the strange man.

"I don't know why…but I've got an awfully strange feeling that I should keep an eye out for this guy." She said to herself as she watched the three friends leave.


	3. New Friends and Experiences

The sun was bright that next morning.

Cat sat up and stretched.

"Ow…ow…" She mummered to herself. "I didn't think sleeping on a bench would be so…painful."

She had wandered around by herself the night before and decided to sleep on a park bench. Though it wasn't much of a bed, it was available.

Since there was honestly nothing much that Cat could do, she picked up her backpack and started to wander around again, unsure of where her steps would take her.

Cat stopped when she found map sign. She looked at what street she was on and then began to search the map to find the street she was on. She paused for a moment when the map said, "Domino City". It was pretty obvious that's where she was.

After a while, she still couldn't find the street she was on. She was just about to give up when suddenly; someone grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

Cat was now staring at a strange man in a purple robe with a gold chan on the front. She could hardly see the man's face under the hood he was wearing, but she could tell that he looked anything but kind.

The man was silent and looked down at her cartouche. He smirked.

"So I was right. You'll have to come with me now, little girl." The man said.

Cat gasped. Who WAS he? A kidnapper? A murder? A pervert? A thief? What did he want with her?

She didn't know, but she was certain that she didn't want to stick around to find out.

Without a word, she took one step back and lunged her self in the opposite direction of the man, darting down the sidewalk.

The man growled and chased after her.

"Whew…I'm glad we didn't miss the public bus." A blond boy said as he stretched his arms in the air.

"We're actually pretty early today." A brown haired boy said to the blond.

"We were only late last time because you two MADE us late!" A girl with short brown hair snapped at the two boys.

"It's okay. It was nice to walk to school for a change." A shorter boy said to them. He had spiky hair and strange golden bangs. His spiky hair was black and purple.

The blonde's name was Katsuya Jounouchi. He had poofy short, blond hair.

His skin was pale and his eyes were brown. He was pretty tall as well.

His friend's called him Joey for short.

Joey was 17 and wasn't always the brightest of the bunch. He also had somewhat of a Brooklyn accent.

He was wearing his school uniform, a blue jacket, a white shirt, blue pants, and black and white sneakers.

The second boy was named Hiroto Honda. He was also 17.

He was one of Joey's best friends. He had short brown hair almost in the shape of a beak.   
Honda's eyes were brown and his skin was pale. He was wearing the same school uniform as Joey, only his shoes were black.

He was pretty sarcastic at times, but supportive. But he shared a love for food, like Joey.

The third was a girl named Masaki Anzu.

She had short brown hair that stuck up a little at the top. Her skin was pale and her eyes were blue.

Anzu was 17 as well and wore the girl's school uniform of the school they went to. It was a pink jacket with a blue bow at the collar. Under the jacket was a white blouse and she wore a short blue skirt.  
And lastly she wore white knee socks and brown loafers.

She was hot-tempered, but loved her friends a lot. She was also pretty smart and always tried to get along with everyone. But would grow angry with anyone who picked on her friends.

She had a secret crush on her childhood friend, Yugi and his alter ego, Yami, the Pharaoh.

Last, was Muto Yugi. He was 17 as well and wore the same school uniform as Joey and Honda. Only Yugi wore a black tangtop under the blue jacket and a black buckle collar around his neck. He wore black boots and wore the Millennium Puzzle on a chain around his neck. The same necklace Cat saw him wear on the night of the tournament's announcements.

He was a little short for his age.

He was pale skinned and had big violet eyes and a kind face. His hair was spiky and tri-colored. Gold, Black and Purple. Only his spiky bangs were gold and the rest was black and purple.

Yugi's alter ego was Yami, the ancient Egyptian spirit of a Pharaoh from 3,000 years ago.

Yami looked just like Yugi, only he had more gold spikes, he was a little taller, his eyes were sharper, and his voice was deeper.

Yami's soul rested in Yugi's Millennium Puzzle.

Yugi's grandfather found the Millennium Puzzle in a tomb years ago and gave it to Yugi, who put the Puzzle together, which freed the Pharaoh's soul.

Him and Yugi share the same body.

Yami was very intelligent, strong and kind. But pretty aggressive and protective as well.

He was also a master duelist and earned the title, "King of Games". He did most of the dueling for Yugi.

Yami lost his memories as Pharaoh and doesn't even know his real name. So him, Yugi and their friends are trying to solve the mysteries of his past.

But what he didn't know, was that his destiny was about to take another curve.

"I guess that's true…but because of that, we were late." Anzu said and frowned at Joey and Honda, putting her hands on her hips.

Joey and Honda held up their hands in defense.

"Hey! C'mon! A guy's gotta eat to survive right?" Joey said in his defense.

"We just got to breakfast a little late." Honda piped in.

"Yeah, because you two slept in." Anzu said, still frowning at them.

The two boys looked a little speechless at this. They were having a hard time trying to think up a comeback.

"It's alright guys. It's in the past." Yugi said to his three best friends with a weak smile.

"Yeah! Listen to what Yugi says." Honda said to Anzu.

Before another argument could come up, Cat almost ran into them as she continued running.  
"Excuse me!" She cried in a shaky tone as she ran non-stop.

The four friends watched the girl run.

"She looks our age…do you think she's late for school?" Anzu asked.

"No clue." Joey said. "But who ever she was, she was in a hurry."

The four friends then heard more running footsteps coming their way, only this time, when they looked, it was a man!

"That's a Rare Hunter!" Yugi cried.

"Out of the way!" The Rare Hunter snapped as he ran past Yugi and his friends.

"You don't think he's chasing after that girl we saw, do ya?" Joey asked the others.

"My guess is that he is." Honda said. "But the question is, why?"

"I don't know." Yugi said. "But we gotta help her!'

And with that, Yugi ran after the two.

"Hey! Yugi, wait!" Anzu called.

"What about the bus?" Honda called.

The three sighed.  
"There he goes, running off again!" Joey said.

"Looks like we'll have to cover up for him at school again." Honda said.

Cat continued to run as fast as her legs would carry her. She turned a sharp corner and skidded as she turned.  
Almost tripping, she quickly caught herself and ran down the alleyway she had turned into. Only to find a dead end.

She skidded to a stop and panted for breath.

Turning around, she heard the evil cackle of the Rare Hunter who had just started walking into the alleyway.

Cat whipped her head around desperately, trying to find a way out. Unlucky for her, there was no way out.

She backed herself against the wall, trying to figure out a way to escape. But nothing was coming to mind. She was panicking too much!

Once the Rare Hunter had reached her, he picked her up by the neck and lifted her off the ground.  
"Trying to escape, huh? Master Marik has been looking for you. The girl with the silver cartouche." The man sneered.

Cat held onto his arm and tried to kick him, but he was too strong, and she was running out of breath fast.

The man laughed. "Once you pass out, you won't be much of a hassle to deliver." He said.

Cat's grip on the man's arm was becoming weak and she slowly felt herself starting to fade.

Everything seemed hopeless until she heard a voice.

"Let her go, Rare Hunter!"

The Rare Hunter looked over his shoulder to find Yami, standing not too far behind them.

There was silence until the Rare Hunter smirked and dropped Cat, causing her to collapse on the ground, still fading from her lack of air.

The Rare Hunter turned to face the Pharaoh.

"You're Yugi Muto, I'm guessing." He said. "You're the one Master Marik is after. Don't get in my way! Master Marik gave me specific orders to bring this girl to him!"

The last thing that entered Cat's mind, before she passed out, was that she recognized him from the night before.

"It's obvious that she doesn't want to go with you to see your master. You're nothing but a rotten kidnapper." Yami said to the Rare Hunter, frowning.

The Rare Hunter sneered at the Pharaoh and pulled out his duel disk.

"I can defeat you hands down! If I bring you to Master Marik, along with this girl, then I'll get twice the credit!" He said with a grin.

Yami smirked. "We'll see." He simply said.

Joey rubbed his head in frustration.  
"Man! Where's Yug?" He cried. "School's already over and he STILL hasn't come back!"

"I wish I knew…I'm worried." Anzu said.

"I'm worried too, but not TOO worried. Yugi's not that weak…he can take care of himself." Honda said.

"Yeah, but there's still always a time where you need help here and there." Joey reminded Honda.

"HEY GUYS!"

Joey, Honda and Anzu turned their heads in the direction of the call to spot Yugi running up to them.

"Yug! Where have you been?! We were worried sick about ya!" Joey scolded Yugi.

"Sorry about that, guys. It took a little longer than I thought." Yugi apologized.

"So, how'd it go?" Honda asked.

"The girl that was being chased is safe now. The Pharaoh rescued her. The Rare Hunter challenged the Pharaoh to a duel and the Pharaoh won. After he won, the Rare Hunter collapsed and we took the girl to the game shop to rest." Yugi explained.

"You didn't send her home?" Anzu asked.

"We don't know where she lives. And she was passed out. By the time the spirit and me arrived, the Rare Hunter was choking her. So when he dropped her, she passed out. Besides, this "Marik' seems to want something with her. So I'm not the only one he's hunting. Right now Grandpa's watching over her. But since I'm late and school's over, let's go back and see how she's doing." Yugi said.

"Works for me! Hey! We may even make a new friend!" Joey said with a big grin.

"Let's go!" Honda and Anzu both said.

Cat's cough came automatically when she woke up. Once she caught her breath again, she opened her eyes and sat up.

She lightly placed a hand on her throat and scanned the area.

"Where…where am I?" She whispered the question to herself.

It looked like she was in someone's room. But who? Did the Rare Hunter succeed in kidnapping her? Or did that man save her?

Wherever she was, she figured it was best to just leave.

She looked out the nearby window and realized she was in a room on the second floor of the building. Whoever brought her here was probably downstairs.

"Best not take any chances." She said to herself and grabbed her backpack, which was resting to the side of the bed she was on, and put it on.

Quietly, she opened the window and began to crawl out of it. She was halfway through it, when suddenly; the door to the room opened and Yugi, along with his friends peeked in.

They quickly spotted her halfway out the window and they all stared at each other.

"Well…this is awkward." Joey said, breaking the silence.

"Uh…" Cat tried to say something, but her grip slipped and she fell out of the window with a yelp!

Yugi, Joey, Honda and Anzu gasped and ran to the window to see if she was all right.

Lucky for Cat, she had landed on some bushes below. They weren't the softest things in the world, but soft enough to break her fall.

Cat looked up at the four. "S-sorry about your bushes!" She called to them.

"What are you doing out here?"

Cat turned her head to the old man standing in front of her.

His name was Muto Solomon. He was Yugi's Grandfather! He was just outside, sweeping the sidewalk when he noticed Cat in the bushes.

Solomon was a short old man, who was very wise and used to be a champion at the game, "Duel Monsters".

He taught Yugi everything he knew.

Solomon had big violet eyes and spiky gray hair. He kept most of his hair in a dark green head bandanna though. He also had a little gray mustache too.

He wore a light gray shirt with dark green overalls and black boots. Solomon was a little chubby as well.

"U-uhm…who…are you?" Cat asked slowly.

"My name is Solomon Muto. But you can call me either Mr. Muto or Grandpa." Solomon replied. "I believe my grandson saved you from that Rare Hunter and brought you to our house because you had passed out."

Cat blinked for a moment and then blushed from embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry!" She said. "I…was being rude…I didn't know where I was and…I was afraid of the possibility that, that man kidnapped me while I was passed out."

Solomon chuckled and patted Cat's shoulder. "It's okay. It understand. Now, why don't you come on in and officially meet my grandson and his friends. I'm sure you'd all get along well." He said with a kind smile.

"Um…but…I don't want to be a burden." Cat said quietly.

"It's no trouble at all. Go ahead." Solomon said.

"Okay…" Cat said slowly and got out of the bushes, brushing some leaves off of her before she walked inside of the building.

Yugi, Joey, Honda and Anzu were already down there to meet her.

"Are you all right?" Yugi asked Cat. "You had quite a fall."

Cat looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry…I didn't know where I was…and I was thinking of the possibility that, that man had kidnapped me." She explained.

"Well, okay. That makes sense." Joey said.

"But don't you think climbing out the window was a little extreme?" Anzu asked.

"Think about it you guys. If she went downstairs and let's say, for example, the Rare Hunter DID kidnap her, then she would be in trouble." Honda explained.

"I guess that's true." Anzu said.

Yugi laughed lightly and smiled at Cat.  
"Allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Yugi Muto." He said.

"I'm Jounouchi Katsuya, but my friends call me Joey for short." Joey introduced himself.

"I'm Honda Hiroto." Honda said.

"And I'm Anzu Masaki." Anzu said.

"What about you? What's you're name?" Yugi asked Cat.

"My name? Um, I'm Cat Tsuru." Cat introduced herself nervously. "It's nice to meet you all, and thank you for rescuing me."

"It was no problem." Yugi said. "So where do you live? We'll walk you home."

Cat looked a little sheepish. "Um, well…actually…I don't live in this city…" She started.

"You don't? Then what city?" Joey asked.

"Um…this country is America, right?" Cat asked.

The four friends looked shocked at Cat.

"America? This is Japan!" Anzu said.

Cat looked shocked herself.

"How did you end up here?" Yugi asked.

Cat shook her head.

"To be honest, I don't know!" She said. "This girl from this strange card transported me here, or something like that."

"A girl from a card?" Honda asked.

"Do you still have that card?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah." Cat said, getting her deck out and searched through it. "Here it is." She pulled out the Dark Magician Girl and handed it to Yugi.

Yugi blinked.  
"This is the Dark Magician Girl. You're saying SHE teleported you here?" He asked.

Cat nodded.

"Yeah…I received that card in a dream. It sounds weird, huh? But I still don't know who the man was who gave it to me in my dream." She explained. "Anyways, one day, I was sitting in my room until my necklace started to glow." She pointed at her cartouche. "And once it started to glow, so did that card. When I walked over to check it out, it started to glow brighter and a girl appeared, sitting on my desk. It was the same girl from that card. She told me that "The Pharaoh" was waiting for me. Though I still don't know what she meant by that."

Yugi and his friends gasped.

"She said that "The Pharaoh" was waiting for you?" Yugi repeated.

Cat nodded.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit form. Only Yugi could see and hear him.

"Pharaoh…are you waiting for someone?" Yugi asked.

"I don't think so…but if the Dark Magician Girl sent her here…then she must have a role to for fill." Yami replied. "I think she should stick close to us. Something tells me that she may be of some help. Especially if Marik is after her."

"Right. I'll invite her to stay with us. You don't mind if I introduce you two, do you?" Yugi asked.

"She's going to find out about me sooner or later…so I might as well introduce myself." Yami replied.

"Alright then. We'll do it later. Right now she's probably got a lot on her mind anyways. She needs to rest." Yugi said.

"Alright." Yami said and returned to the Puzzle.

Yugi looked up at Cat.

"So your home is in America, right?" He asked.

Cat nodded again.

Yugi smiled at her.

"Okay then. You can stay here at the Game Shop until we find a way to return you home."

Cat looked surprised. "What?" She asked. "N-No! I can't…that would be asking for too much. You've already done enough for me."

"Nonsense! You should stay with Yug! He'll take good care of ya!" Joey said with a grin.

"B-but…" Cat began to protest.

"Think about it." Honda interrupted. "Where else do you have to go?"

Cat thought about this for a moment and then sighed.  
"Alright." She agreed. "But, I'll do my best to do my share around here for you guys since you're letting me stay here."

"That's fine. I'm sure Grandpa wouldn't mind if you didn't do anything, but you can help out if you'd like." Yugi said.

"You seem to have adapted fairly well, haven't you?" Honda asked Cat.

It was the next day and everyone was in the schoolyard.

Yugi's grandpa was able to enroll Cat into Domino High with Yugi and everyone.

Cat was now with them and wore the same school uniform as Anzu. But Cat always wore her silver cartouche.

Cat also ended up sharing a room with Yugi to sleep. And since she wasn't used to sharing a room and she was far from home, PLUS she was sharing it with a boy; she didn't sleep well.

"I adapt to new things easily if I try hard enough. But there are a lot of times where I won't be adapted to something but it wouldn't show." Cat explained.

"Ah. I see." Honda nodded.

Joey was furious. "I can't believe Kaiba didn't invite me to the tournament!" He cried. "I was the runner-up at Duelist Kingdom!"

"Uh, newsflash Joey. Kaiba doesn't like you." Honda reminded him.

"Oh yeah? Well I'll give him something not to like!" Joey snapped.

"And this is exactly how Kaiba wants you to react." Honda added in.

Cat looked at Yugi.  
"Who's Kaiba? He wouldn't be that guy, who announced that tournament on the TV screens, would he?" She asked.

Yugi blinked at her. "Yeah…his name's Seto Kaiba. He's the president of a huge gaming company called "Kaiba Corp.". He runs it with his little brother, Mokuba Kaiba. Kaiba's rich and he's the one holding the tournament. He's a powerful duelist. You were there the night he announced the tournament?" He asked.

Cat nodded.

"So then…where did you stay that night?" Yugi asked.

"Oh, I spent the night on a park bench. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it worked. The time when Kaiba announced the tournament was the night I came to this city." Cat explained.

"I see. Sorry you had to spend the night in Domino Park." Yugi said.

"Nah, it's okay. I survived." Cat said calmly.

Joey was still ranting.

"Yeah? Well maybe I don't NEED to enter snooty Kaiba's tournament! Yugi, are you going to enter?" He asked.

"I have to! It's my destiny!" Yugi replied. "Some sort of evil force is threatening the world, and I have to enter the tournament in order to fight it."

Cat looked confused.

"Okay then! I'll enter the tournament too!" Joey said and pulled out his Red Eyes Black Dragon card. "I'll fight along side ya and kick Kaiba's butt!" He then kissed his card and baby-talked to it.

Everyone except Cat, groaned.

"Joey…remember what happened LAST time you dueled Kaiba?" Anzu asked Joey.

"You'd better get used to using Kaiba's new Duel Disk before the tournament." Yugi said to Joey.

Joey paused and remembered getting beaten by Kaiba with his old Duel Disk in Duelist Kingdom.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Joey cried with excitement and ran off to get a Duel Disk and sign up for the tournament.

Everyone, again, except Cat, heaved a heavy sigh.

"I guess we should go follow him." Anzu said.

"Guess so." Honda said and both him and Anzu began to walk. They stopped when they noticed Cat and Yugi weren't following.

"You two coming or what?" Honda asked.

"Actually…can we meet you guys there in about 20 minutes? There's something important I need to share with Cat." Yugi said.

Honda and Anzu looked at each other and shrugged.

"Okay then. We'll see you two there soon." Anzu said.

"We'll make sure Joey doesn't sign up without you." Honda said. And with that, Honda and Anzu followed Joey.

Cat looked at Yugi.   
"So…what did you want to tell me?" She asked.

Yugi looked around. "Um…follow me." He said and started to walk into a shady tree area where there were fewer people.

Cat followed him silently.

Once they reached their destination, Yugi turned to look at Cat.

"Okay…what I'm about to show you is a big secret that you mustn't tell anyone. Can me and my friend trust you with this secret?" He asked.

"Um…sure. I can keep a secret." Cat said, quietly wondering what he meant by his "friend".

"Alright then. I want you to meet one of my best friends. Don't be alarmed when he appears, okay?" Yugi explained.

"Okay." Cat said, still wondering what he was talking about.

"Okay, here I go." Yugi said. And suddenly, his Millennium Puzzle started to glow.

Cat looked at the puzzle, wondering what was happening. She took a small step back.

After a moment, the Puzzle stopped glowing.

"Uh, Yugi…what was that-" Cat didn't finish her sentence when she looked up.

She wasn't looking at Yugi anymore…she was looking at someone different.

"Hello, Cat." Yami said.

Cat stared at him, completely shocked. What happened to Yugi? And who was this man?

It took Cat a moment to realize that this was the same man that she saw when Kaiba announced the tournament and the same man who confronted the Rare Hunter when she was being attacked. But her first question still wasn't answered.

"I know this all may be shocking for you…but allow me to explain." Yami said calmly.

Cat only continued to stare at him, until suddenly, another vision appeared in her head!

Cat saw herself lying in a man's arms, unconscious. She was wearing the same clothes as the first vision and realized that the school uniform she was wearing was the same as the ones she was wearing now…only the one's in her vision were orange and green. Probably an older version of the uniform.

And the man…was the same man as she saw in her first vision…the one she was apparently afraid of. She could only see up to his nose now. But his eyes remained a mystery.

She saw a smirk appear on his lips before he leaned down and gave the girl a rough, hard kiss. The girl that was apparently Cat.

Cat gasped as the vision suddenly ended and she quickly covered her mouth, shocked. When she saw this vision, she could almost feel the rough kiss that the man gave to her in the vision.

Yami stared at Cat. She had gone in a trance for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her.

Cat took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, calming herself down.  
"I-I'm fine." She replied. "Thank you for asking. Anyways…please continue."

Cat figured it might be best to brush it off for now. Even though it would probably still linger in her head.


	4. Tournament Registration

"Sorry Seto has to ask you this favor. I hope we're not taking too much time off your hands."

Mokuba walked home with a girl who was around 16.

"No way, Mokuba! Watching you is way more fun than sitting at home, doing nothing!"

The girl smiled. She had short dark blond hair with blond streaks, which were lighter than her original hair color.

Her eyes were an emerald green and she was tall and thin. The girl wore a Domino High school Girl uniform and had a small blue flower clip in her hair. Her skin was pale and she had a small circular scar on her forehead.

"Thanks Kay! You're the best." Mokuba said with a big grin.

The girl's name was indeed Kay Simms.

She was close friends of the Kaiba family, and often looked after Mokuba when Kaiba couldn't. Even though Kaiba knew that Mokuba could probably take care of himself, ever since Pegasus kidnapped him from before, he didn't want to take any chances. Plus Mokuba seemed to really like Kay. It all worked out fine.

Kay and Kaiba often argued a lot, but besides that, they were very close. Kay would never admit it, but she had a huge crush on Kaiba. Though she convinced herself that Kaiba would never feel the same way. Although that was only what she thought.

Not even Mokuba knew how Kaiba felt about Kay. But he had his guesses.

Kay was an extremely strong duelist and was the only other one who had three Blue-Eyes White Dragons in her deck, other than Kaiba himself.

Pegasus J. Crawford was Kay's uncle and he had made three more Blue-Eyes White Dragons just for her for her birthday one year. She treasured them and they were her favorite cards.

Kay and Kaiba dueled a couple of times, but they often came out in a draw. This confused them both, but they believed it was because they had an equal skill level in dueling.

The small scar on her forehead came from her abusive father when she was little. She now lived by herself in an apartment.

The pay that Kaiba gave her allowed her to keep up with her needs. The School payment, the apartment payment, food, and all those other bills.

Kay was also an excellent cook.

Kay laughed. "Why, thank you." She said with a smile. "By the way, Seto seems more busy than usual. Is it because of his new tournament?"

Mokuba nodded. "Yup. Once it starts, he'll be participating as well and I'm going to be a referee to watch out for people who break the rules of the tournament." He explained. "Are you going to join the tournament too?"

Kay looked up. "Hm…I don't know…I've considered it." She responded.

"You should! I'll be you'd do GREAT! You might be able to duel the King of Games himself! Although you'd have to be careful. Seto's aiming to take that title away from him." Mokuba laughed lightly.

Kay laughed a little as well. "Well…we'll have to see. I may just have to join!" She said with a smile.

"I hope so! You'd blow away the competition!" Mokuba said with a huge grin.

The two laughed happily as they approached the large building that was Kaiba Corp.

This new event almost made Cat inpatient for an explanation.

She continued to stare at the different Yugi standing in front of her.

"I am either called "Yami" or Pharaoh". Sometimes "Spirit" as well." Yami started. "I am the spirit of a Pharaoh that was sealed away in this Millennium Puzzle around my neck, 3,000 years ago. Yugi and I share a body. He's not gone. His spirit is inside my Millennium Puzzle. We switch places from time to time. But usually only when he needs me. I was brought into the present to protect mankind once again from evil. As I did 3,000 years ago as Pharaoh, I believe. The only problem is, is that I have lost all my memories of my past as Pharaoh. I don't even remember my real name. So Yugi and our friends are helping me find clues to my past along the way as I fight against evil. So far, the people I have fought against have owned a Millennium Item. 7 Millennium Items were made. I hold one of them, as you can tell. And I am lead to believe that this new evil stirring up has a Millennium Item as well. Although not everyone with a Millennium Item is evil."

Cat blinked. She felt as if all this secret information had been just suddenly forced into her head.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit.

"She looks a little lost for words. Do you think that maybe this was too much for her?" He asked.

"It seems like it." Yami replied. "I probably shouldn't have shared all that information with her. Besides, we don't know how long she's staying. She's only staying with us until she finds her way back home."

"Wait a moment. Maybe she can help us while she's here." Yugi suggested.

"How?" Yami asked.

"Remember? The Dark Magician Girl sent her here. So there must be a reason to why. Plus she had the Dark Magician Girl's card. So she could possibly own a deck of her own." Yugi explained.

"That's true." Yami agreed.

"Why don't you ask her if she has a deck?" Yugi asked.

Yami nodded and looked back over at Cat.

"I remember you showing Yugi a "Dark Magician Girl" card. Do you have anymore cards?" He asked.

"Oh! Y-yeah. Hold on a moment." Cat said pulling out her deck from her bag and handing it to him.

Yami looked through her deck, noting that her deck certainly wasn't weak.

He suddenly stopped at a card and stared at it, shocked.

Cat tilted her head slightly. "What is it?" She asked, noticing his expression.

"Cat…how did you obtain Slifer the Sky Dragon?" Yami asked suddenly.

"I don't know! That deck just appeared when I was brought here." Cat said.

Yugi, who was still next to Yami in spirit, was also shocked.

"How did she get a card THIS powerful! I've never seen it before!" He cried.

"It's an Egyptian God Card, Yugi." Yami said.

"I'm starting to think that Cat has a bigger role here than we thought." Yugi said.

"You may be right." Yami said, still staring at the card in his hand. "What does the Dark Magician Girl know that we don't?"

Yami finished looking through her deck and handed it back to her.

"You have a fairly powerful deck. Do you know how to play the game?" He asked.

Cat put her deck back into her bag. "Actually, no. I've never even heard of this game." She replied.

"I see. The fact that you have Slifer the Sky Dragon, an Egyptian God Card, seems to mean that you have business here." Yami said. "So then…will you help us?"

"With what?" Cat asked.

"Help us save the world. I've already given you information, which you still need to keep a secret, about me. Plus there must be a reason you're here if the Dark Magician Girl sent you here. Don't forget the fact that you own an Egyptian God Card." Yami explained. "Me and Yugi can teach you how to play the game. It's quite simple. So…what do you say?"

Yami extended a hand to her, waiting for a response.

Cat looked at his outstretched hand and looked back up at him, before looking at his hand again.

After a moment, she smiled bravely and took his hand with a determined smile. "Alright! I'll do my best to help out when I can." She said.

Yami smiled and gripped her hand. "Glad to hear it. We'll be working together from now on." He said.

Cat nodded. "Okay!"

Cat and Yugi finally met their three other friends at the registration office. Joey, Honda and Anzu had time to change their clothes into casual clothes. Yugi and Cat didn't have time to change out of their school uniforms.

When they joined up, Yugi walked over to Anzu.

"Hey, Anzu. Thanks for talking with the Spirit. We both found it a little hard to believe that he was once an Egyptian Pharaoh who saved the world!" He said.

Anzu seemed surprised that Yugi didn't seem worried about what Ishizu said. Because if it's true, then Yugi's in terrible danger!

"I'm pretty worried about Kaiba's rule that the loser in a tournament duel has to give their rarest card to the winner. The Pharaoh doesn't like the ante rule either. It's a great way to get a deck full of rare cards, but I put my heart into my deck! I don't want to risk my Dark Magician. But fate of the world depends on it, so I'll play by whatever rules I have to." Yugi said.

Joey and Honda were busy drooling over the cards displayed in the shop window.

"This tournament is going to be really risky, but we'll all get through it together!" Anzu whispered to herself.

The five walked into the shop and they approached the counter.

"We're here to register for the Battle City Tournament." Yugi said to the shopkeeper.

"Alright then!" The Shopkeeper said and looked him up on his computer. "Yugi Muto, eh? You're listed as a five-star duelist! The highest rank!"

"Rankings?" Cat asked.

"Kaiba Corp. has performed extensive research into duelists around the world. Including tournaments they've competed in and what cards they use. They've compiled the results into a database." The Shopkeeper explained.

Yugi was thinking of how it gave Kaiba an unfair advantage to know what cards the other duelists had in their decks. But he was snapped out of his thought as the shopkeeper handed him a new Duel Disk.

"You're qualified for the tournament." The shopkeeper said.

Joey jumped up to the counter, grinning. "I'm next!" He cried happily.

The Shopkeeper looked up Joey.

"I see you've only got on star too low to enter the tournament." He said.

"What?!" Joey snapped. "I came in second at Duelist Kingdom!" He was about to lung himself at the shopkeeper, but Honda had to restrain him.

The shopkeeper looked back at the computer and noticed that Joey's rare card was the Red Eyes Black Dragon. He grinned evilly to himself, figuring that his master would surly be interested.  
While Joey was still throwing a fit and everyone else was trying to calm him down, the Shopkeeper quickly changed his rating to four stars.

"Oh wait. I'm sorry, it was a computer glitch." The Shopkeeper said. "You have four stars, you are qualified to enter."

He handed Joey his new Duel Disk.

Joey happily accepted it.

"I'd like to congratulate myself for keeping my cool, while the computer was getting fixed!" He said with a large grin.

"Yeah, right." Anzu said.

Yugi approached the counter again.

"She's here to register too." He said, pointing at Cat.

The shopkeeper looked her up, but she wasn't in the database! He was about to tell her she couldn't, until he paused and noticed the cartouche around her neck. He took a moment to examine her appearance and grinned evilly.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't in the database. She's new around here." Yugi explained.

"I see. What is your rarest card, girl?" The Shopkeeper asked.

"Sli-" Cat started, until Yugi elbowed her arm lightly.

Cat looked down at Yugi, confused.

"Best keep the Egyptian God Card a secret. Just tell him The Dark Magician Girl is your rarest." Yugi whispered to her.

Cat nodded and looked back that the shopkeeper.

"Um, the Dark Magician Girl is my rarest card, sir." She said.

"Hm…alright then. You're qualified to enter. We'll add your data in the database later." The shopkeeper said and handed her a Duel Disk.

Cat held up her hands. "Ah, wait! I already have one of those." She said.

Everyone looked at Cat, surprised.  
"You do?" Yugi asked, confused.

"Yes…" Cat said slowly before whispering to Yugi, "That was another thing I got when I was brought here. I don't know where it came from."

Yugi nodded and laughed lightly. "Oh, I see! Y-You must have came here already! How silly you've seemed to have forgotten already!"

Joey, Honda and Anzu looked at Yugi strangely; wondering what the weird excuse was all about.

The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow, knowing he'd never seen the girl here before. Never the less, he had to keep going.

"I see! Well in that case, you're all set up. Don't worry about it ma'am." The shopkeeper said with a pleasant smile. "Good luck in the tournament!"

The five kids nodded and left the shop.

When they were gone, the shopkeeper picked up the phone and made a call…to the Rare Hunters.

"I've got to go, guys! Shizuka's operation is tomorrow, and I told her I'd stay at the hospital tonight." Joey said and took off. "See you!"

"I hope Joey will be alright. His mother will be at the hospital too. And ever since she separated Joey from his sister, seven years ago, Joey hasn't spoken to his mother." Honda said as Joey disappeared down the street.

"That's horrible…I hope he'll be okay too." Cat said.

"I vow to see that the Katsuya family reunites!" Honda said, trying to look cool.

"You're just trying to be a hero to impress Shizuka, aren't you?" Yugi laughed.

Everyone else laughed.

Joey rushed to the hospital. It was all ready nighttime.

But suddenly, three robed men appeared in front of him.

Joey stopped.

"Hey! Who are you freaks?" He asked.

"We shall not let you pass unless you duel us for your Red Eyes Black Dragon!" The Rare Hunters said.

Joey grinned and put his Duel Disk on.

"It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice! Fine then! Bring it!" He said.

"Mother…I'm scared of getting the operation." A girl said, sitting in her hospital bed.

This was Joey's little sister, Shizuka. She had bangs similar to Cat's but she had some small bangs in the middle of her forehead as well. Her hair ended at her waist and it was a red-ish brown color. It wasn't up in any way and her eyes were brown. Her skin was also pale.

She wore pink pajamas.

"But I know I'll feel a lot better when Joey gets here." She said.

"Katsuya's coming?" Her mother asked.

"It must be hard for him." Cat whispered to herself as she helped Yugi's Grandfather with making dinner. She felt bad for Joey that his family was separated. She hoped that he would be okay.

Cat figured, though, she should probably focus on dinner at the time being.

She knew for herself…she was a horrible cook.

"Cat, do you think you could start cooking the eggs for me?" Grandpa Muto asked.

"U-uh, sure!" Cat said with a weak smile and moved over to the stove and prepared the eggs.

Guessing the heat, she turned on the stove and moved over a little to chop some vegetables.

It wasn't long until Grandpa Muto smelled something burning. Turning around, he gasped in complete shock, as…the eggs were black and starting to catch fire.

Cat was focused on chopping the vegetables, so she didn't notice.

"C-CAT! MOVE AWAY FROM THE STOVE!" Grandpa Muto yelled as he fumbled to find a fire extinguisher.

Cat looked at Yugi's Grandpa confused for a moment, before looking at the eggs herself. She squeaked loudly, realizing she had done it…"AGAIN".

Before Cat could really move from her spot, Yugi's Grandpa turned off the stove and quickly sprayed the fire extinguisher all over the stove, getting Cat with it a little.

Yugi quickly ran into the kitchen to see what all the commotion was all about.

"Wha? What's going on in here?!" He cried and paused when he saw the mess on the stove and Cat, who was partly covered by the foam-like substance from the fire extinguisher, looking rather miserable.

Yugi sweatdropped.

"Um…so…uh…what happened here?" He asked.

"I-I'm so sorry. I'm a horrible cook. I always set the heat too high and sometimes I start focusing on something else and forget about what I'm cooking. I'm really sorry." Cat said quietly.

"That's alright Cat. We all make mistakes. It just surprised me is all. I'm not mad." Grandpa Muto said with a kind smile. "Now why don't you go wash up and we'll take over from here."

"Yes sir…" Cat said miserably, still feeling guilty of what happened as she left the kitchen.

Once she was gone, Yugi and his grandfather smiled weakly at each other.


	5. Shizuka's Operation

Shizuka sat on her hospital bed in the dark, hugging her knees.

"I wonder where Joey is…he's never let me down before. I hope he's alright." She said to herself quietly, turning her head to look out the hospital window.

"Brother…please come soon."

Joey was knocked to the ground by the Rare Hunters. Joey had just lost the duel against them.

One of the Rare Hunters leaned down and took his Red Eyes Black Dragon from his duel disk.

Joey groaned in pain.

"My…My Red Eyes!" He called as the Rare Hunters walked away, laughing.

Morning came quickly, and Mrs. Katsuya was pounding on Shizuka's door.

"Shizuka-chan! Come out, this instant!" She cried.

"NO! I'm not going to have the operation until Joey gets here!" Shizuka cried back through the door.

Everyone was sleeping peacefully until the phone rang, waking both Yugi and Cat up.

Sleepily, Yugi sat up and answered the phone.

"Hello…?" He asked in a tired voice, rubbing his eyes.

"Yugi? This is Katsuya's mother…do you know where he went? He never showed up at the hospital!" Joey's mother said through the phone.

"What?! He didn't show up?" Yugi cried in surprise. "Don't worry! We'll find him."

With that, Yugi hung up.

Cat sat up in her own little bed. "Who was that? And what's going on?" She asked, still tired.

"Joey never showed up at the hospital to see his sister last night!" Yugi said, hopping out of bed. "We have to find him!"

Everyone gathered quickly to search for Joey. Honda rode up to them on his motorcycle.

"I've check all his usual spots. He's not in any of them!" Honda reported.

"We should all split up and look for him around the city." Yugi said to the other three. "It's just not like him to miss something so important to him like this! Something must have happened to him."

Everyone nodded and split up.

Yugi and Cat ran through the streets, calling for Joey.

Honda drove along the streets, looking left and right.

Anzu searched around the warehouse district.

Finally, Honda drove along the beach.

He stopped suddenly when he spotted Joey!

Joey was sitting on the sand of the beach. He looked all dirty and beat up.

"I'm sorry Shizuka…" He whispered.

Honda leaped down at him.

"Hey! Joey!" He yelled.

Joey's eyes grew and he quickly scrambled out of Honda's way.

"Honda!? What is it?!" He cried.

"What do you mean, "What is it?" What are you doing here?" Honda asked pulling Joey up. "You should be at the hospital!"

In reply, Joey fell to his knees, digging his fingers in the sand, trying to hold back his sobs.

"Joey, what happened?" Honda asked.

"Yesterday…on the way to the hospital, I was stopped by the Rare Hunters." Joey started to explain. "They grab other players' rare cards in the dark. They challenged me to a duel and I lost. They took my Red Eyes."

Honda kneeled down to Joey's level. "A card is minor compared to your sister." He said calmly. "You should go to the hospital."

Joey frowned and stood up. "Back off!" He snapped angrily. "To me, the Red Eyes is the key to victory!"

Honda stood up as well. "Forget it!" He said sternly. "If you don't go to the hospital, Shizuka won't have the operation! You have to be there to encourage her!"

"No…I can't comfort her right now!" Joey replied.

Honda glared at Joey and punched him hard, causing Joey to fall flat on his back.

"I like you and Yugi in the game." Honda said. "I see how you're connected through playing the cards." He hauled Joey up off the ground by his shirt, right up to his feet. "But you're giving up your sister for a card!"

Joey stared at him, shocked.

There was a long pause between them before Joey gave him a look of determination. "You're right…let's go to the hospital!" He said after getting a clue.

And before long, Honda and Joey rode off together to the hospital.

Yugi, Cat and Anzu met up at their starting place.

"Have any of you found Joey?" Anzu asked.

Both Cat and Yugi shook their heads.

"No…" Yugi said.

But suddenly, Honda sped by, honking his horn.

Yugi, Cat and Anzu looked at them to see that he found Joey!

"Honda found him!" Cat cried happily.

"And he can still make it in time for Shizuka's operation!" Yugi said with a big smile.

Mrs. Katsuya continued to knock on Shizuka's door.

"I have other patients and I can't wait any longer. I'm sorry, but I must go." The surgeon said and was about to leave until Joey finally ran up.

"Let me take care of this one, Ma!" Joey said and walked up to Shizuka's door.

"Shizuka! How about opening this door so we can talk?" He said.

"No!" Shizuka cried, too upset to let him in.

"Shizuka…I'm sorry for letting you down. I was cornered by these Rare Hunters last time and was forced to duel. I lost the duel and lost my best card." Joey explained and leaned on her door with tears in his eyes. "I can't do anything right! I must be the worst brother in the whole word! I'd never do anything to hurt you…Nothing can break the bond between us."

After a moment of silence, Shizuka came out and hugged Joey tightly.  
Joey smiled and returned the hug, looking at his mother.

"Um…nice to see you." He said hesitantly.

"It's nice to see you too." She said.

Yugi, Cat and Anzu sat in Yugi's house.

"Do you think Joey made it in time?" Anzu asked.

"He should have…I think." Yugi replied.

They were interrupted by a phone call. Yugi answered it.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Yugi! It's me, Joey! Shizuka's operation went well!" Joey said through the phone.

"Her operation went well? That's great!" Yugi said happily.

Cat and Anzu cheered happily.

"By the way, Joey…who were those guys last night? That you ran into." Yugi asked.

"I don't know…but I'm going to find those guys and get my card back! This isn't over until I get my Red Eyes Black Dragon back!" Joey said through the phone.

Yugi's Grandpa swept outside the game shop.

"Geez…Yugi hasn't been doing his chores. Well…he DOES need to prepare for the tournament this morning. I like a good duel as much as anyone, but our jobs comes first!" He complained to himself.

After he remained silent for a moment, he looked back up.

"Hogwash! Kaiba's Battle City Tournament starts today! And I wouldn't miss it for the world!" He cried and tossed a "Closed" sign on the door.

Yugi and Yami were in Yugi's room, alone.

"You've created a powerful deck." Yami said, standing next to him in spirit form.

"I guess…but I'm worried it won't be good enough." Yugi said.

"There comes a time when all you can do is trust in your cards." Yami said. "This is a different challenge than we've ever faced before. The fate of the world depends on it. Our destiny will reveal itself when the time is right. Ishizu did tell us that an ancient evil is coming to destroy the world, and in order to defeat it, we must win the Battle City Tournament."

"We'll do just that!" Yugi said with a smile. "You stood by me at Duelist Kingdom and helped me rescue my Grandpa, so it's my turn to stand by you."

Yami nodded and returned to the puzzle as Yugi bucked his dueling belt on, with a fierce determined look, ready to duel!

Cat sat on one of the sofas downstairs of Yugi's house, constantly looking through her deck.

She stopped when she spotted the Dark Magician Girl.

"I hope you know what you got me into." She sighed helplessly, talking to the card.

She continued to look through her deck.

"No matter what I say to myself, I just can't get this nervous feeling to go away." She whispered to herself. "I know I promised the Pharaoh I would help him…but…I'm still only a beginner. I just hope those lessons the Pharaoh gave me was enough."

Putting her cards away, she sighed and leaned back against the couch, closing her eyes.

Almost unknowingly, she started to hum a song she knew. Singing often calmed her down…but she didn't want to sing out loud. She was afraid someone would hear her.

(The song she's humming is "Eternal Snow" by the way. )

Unknown to her, Yugi had just walked downstairs. He stopped and looked at her when he heard the soft humming.

"Cat?" He asked.

Cat jumped and quickly looked over her shoulder at Yugi.

"O-Oh! Yugi! You scared me." She huffed, trying to calm her breathing again.

Yugi smiled in a friendly way.

"Sorry…are you ready to go?" He asked.

Cat stood up. "Yeah." She said and walked over to him.

The two walked out the door.

I wonder what song that was? Yugi thought to himself.

Joey sat on the floor of his apartment, among a clutter of papers, books, dirty dishes and snack wrappers.

"I HAVE to figure out a way to get back my Red Eyes!" He cried, flinging himself onto his back in frustration.

"I can't believe I let that Rare Hunter take my best card! And it was even before the tournament started!"

Joey paused his rant and quickly sat up, remembering his sister.

He called to check up on her.

"Hello?"

Joey looked startled. Why did HONDA answer the phone?

"Hey! Honda! What are you doing in Shizuka's room?!" He snapped.

"I knew how busy you'd be with the tournament, so I thought I would keep Shizuka some company." Honda replied.

"You're the last thing Shizuka needs!" Joey growled.

Suddenly Shizuka got the phone.

"Joey! You never told me Honda's the one who taught you how to duel! You're so lucky to have such a sweet and caring guy as your friend." She said.

Joey looked shocked and was about to throw a fit until Honda came back onto the phone.

"Don't forget about that great three-card combo I taught you!" Honda said and hung up.

Joey was fuming.

"HONDA! YOU NEVER TAUGHT ME NOTHIN'! GET BACK ON THE PHONE YOU IDIOT!" He screamed at the phone.

Fireworks exploded over Domino as the duelists, who entered the tournament, gathered in the city streets, wearing their Duel Disks.

A couple of nearby businessmen watched nearby.

"What's going on?" One of them asked.

"Are those things on their arms giant wristwatches or something?" The other one wondered.

A couple of duelists stopped near them.

"It's the greatest Duel Monsters tournament of all time!" One of them said to the two businessmen.

Yugi and Cat arrived at the city center plaza.

"I wonder what these clear cards are? They came with the Duel Disk…" Yugi wondered. "It kinda looks like a map."

"I'm not sure what they are." Cat had one too. It came with her duel disk when she arrived in Domino. She just didn't find it until a couple of days ago. "But you're right about them kind of looking like maps."

Suddenly, Mai ran up.

"Hi guys!" She greeted the two. "Who's butt do you think I should kick first?"

But before anyone could say anything, Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor approached the three.

"It's payback time for the way you played me for a chump at Duelist Kingdom!" Rex snapped at Mai.

"My deck is infested with swarms of powerful new insect cards." Weevil snickered to Yugi.

All of the suddenly, Mako Tsunami popped up out of nowhere to choke off Weevil's evil chuckles.

"If anyone makes waves, it'll be me!" He said.

The three boys started to fight, while Yugi, Cat and Mai stood at the side, either rolling their eyes, or watching, confused.

Nearby, at an outdoor café, the Rare Hunter, who stole Joey's Red Eyes, was sitting at a table, sipping coffee.

He looked up Yugi, Cat and Mai on his laptop computer.

Which rare cards will I acquire first? Their cards would make a fine addition to my master's collection. He thought to himself.

After the fighting was over, everyone split up to go find duels.

Cat decided to stay with Yugi a little longer.

They bother stood on a roof of a nearby building.

"I can't find Joey anywhere." Yugi said, worriedly.

"I'm sure we'll find him soon." Cat said.

"Welcome to the tournament!"

Yugi and Cat looked up, hearing Kaiba's voice. But where was it coming from?

A shadow passed over the city and everyone looked up, spotting an airship, with huge video screens attached underneath.

On the screens, was Kaiba.

"Everyone that I thought was good enough to enter the tournament, has received a Duel Disk, which will allow you to duel anywhere, anytime. It also contains a tracking chip I can use to keep track of the duels. The loser of each duel is required to give his or her rarest card to the winner. And anywho foolish enough can challenge me, since I will also be competing in the tournament. I intend to win, and there's one duelist in particular I can't wait to defeat." Kaiba said.

Cat looked at Yugi, who was looking at the screen intensely. "You're on." Yugi said to the screen.

"The ten best duelists will enter the finals, which will be held in a hidden location. The clear cards you all have received are locator cards. Six of them stacked together will reveal the location of the finals. The winner of each duel will get the loser's locator card." Kaiba continued to explain. "Let the tournament begin!"


	6. Battle City Begins!

"I guess this is it." Cat said.

Yugi nodded.

A small breeze blew past them, and Yugi took a moment to look down.

"Hold up a minute…" He said. "That's Joey!"

Cat followed his eyes and spotted Joey herself.

Joey was running through the streets below them.

"I wonder what he's up to." Cat wondered.

They continued to watch Joey until he came to a stop in front of a man.

"Let's check it out." Yugi said.

Cat nodded and the two turned and ran to the staircase to leave the rooftop.

Joey pointed at the man.

"I demand a rematch for my Red Eyes Black Dragon back!" He snapped.

This man Joey was confronting was obviously the Rare Hunter that he dueled before his Red Eyes Black Dragon was stolen.

"No…I've already got your rarest card. I don't need to duel you again." The rare hunter replied.

Joey was starting to grow angry.

Yugi and Cat ran up to Joey.

"Hey, Joey! What's going on?" Yugi asked.

"Hey guys…Look! This is da guy who took my Red Eyes!" Joey said angrily, pointing at the man.

Yugi looked at the man and gasped.

The Rare Hunter was wearing the same cloak as the one Bandit Keith wore when he tried to take Yugi's Millennium Puzzle!

Of course, Cat wouldn't know about that. It happened before she arrived.

But Cat did also recognize the cloak from the Rare Hunter that chased her down when she first came to Domino.

"I won't duel with you." The Rare Hunter repeated to Joey. "But I will duel your little friend." The Rare Hunter looked over at Yugi.

Yugi frowned at the Rare Hunter.

"Fine. I accept your challenge." He said. "I promise, I'm gonna beat you and get Joey's Red Eyes back!"

Yugi's Millennium Puzzle started to glow, and Yami took over.

Cat looked at Yami, already used to the switch by now.

"Yug! You can't…You shouldn't risk your Dark Magician for this!" Joey protested.

"It's alright." Yami said. "I have to duel to fulfill my destiny."

The Rare Hunter stood up and threw his robe aside.

"I'm warning you boy…don't reveal the strategy that I used against you, to Yugi. Or I'll tear up your Red Eyes Black Dragon." The man said in a stern voice.

Anzu ran through the streets looking for Yugi, Cat and Joey.

"Oh, man! How could I have slept on today of all days!" She cried to herself.

When Yami and the Rare Hunter activated their Duel Disks, the Kaiba Corp. satellite detected them.

Kaiba, Mokuba and Kay stood in the control room with Kaiba's employees. A bunch of women who looked exactly alike, only with different hair colors.

"Yugi should ne competing in the very first duel of my tournament." Kaiba said with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Other duels are coming in now, too. And every card is being noted. If either of the other two God cards are played in a duel, we'll know exactly where it is." Mokuba stated.

Kay looked at the two other boys.

"Well…since the tournament has officially started, I'm going to head out and join in." She said and turned to leave.

Kaiba looked over his shoulder.  
"Kay…listen. You'd better not lose one single duel out there. If you do, you'll have me to answer to. Got it?" He said.

Kay looked at him.

She knew that he sounded sort of mean at the moment, but deep down, she knew that those were really just words of encouragement.

She smiled and winked.

"You don't have to worry about me." She said before turning again and leaving the room.

Cat and Joey watched the duel between Yami and the Rare Hunter.

Joey looked at Cat, who was looking a bit worried. He knew that she had never seen Yami duel for real before. She must have been worried if he would be all right.

"Don't worry Cat." Joey said, catching her attention. "Yug didn't earn the title, "King of Games" for nothing."

Cat nodded.

"I'm just a little worried…these Rare Hunters seem to mean business. I mean…they stole your Red Eyes Black Dragon…and they even chased me down the first time I arrived here. They want something with me, and apparently the Pharaoh too. And to add to all that, who knows what else they could have possibly done." She said.

Joey smiled. "Eh, well, they're going to have a hard time catching Yug. He can take care of himself. You've never seen him duel for real. Da Pharaoh's a master at this game and he knows how to come up with great strategies and get out of tough situations." He explained. "You should watch closely on how he handles this duel."

Cat nodded again and looked back at the duel.

"And as for you, well I'm sure Yug won't let anything happen to ya." Joey said.

"I wonder who this new duelist is…" Kaiba muttered under his breath, watching the duel between Yami and the Rare Hunter. "I need some more information about the man Yugi's dueling." He said out loud.

"The man didn't exist in our database until about a week ago." One of the girls that worked for him reported. "He must have hacked and entered himself into the system."

"That's illegal!" Mokuba exclaimed. He turned to go disqualify the Rare Hunter, but Kaiba stopped him.

"The Rare Hunters have taken my bait. It's all just as I planned." Kaiba said.

After a while of watching, the Kaiba Corp. satellite imaging system had detected invisible ink on the Rare Hunter's cards. He was cheating!

"Seto…we have to kick him out! He's cheating!" Mokuba said.

"Let it go." Kaiba said.

"But I'm the Battle City commissioner! It's my job to make sure the rules are enforced!" Mokuba protested.

"I need him. This "Rare Hunter" may have something I need." Kaiba explained.

But beside that, I want to see Yugi squirm. He has to face the same Exodia he once used against me. Kaiba thought to himself.

As the duel continued, Mokuba was getting frustrated.

"Seto! Why are you letting that cheat beat Yugi?" He asked.

"Why not?" Kaiba asked. "Yugi should have been prepared for anything."

It wasn't long until the duel ended.

Mokuba cheered.   
"Yeah! Yugi won! He beat Exodia!" He cried.

Kaiba looked unimpressed.

"Yugi may have beaten Exodia, but there's one card he'll never beat. And I'm the one holding it." He said before turning and leaving the room with Mokuba following after him.

"You all know what to do if you detect a God card being used." Kaiba reminded his employees.

Yami walked over to the Rare Hunter, who had collapsed, and retrieved Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon. Plus the locator card he earned.

As Yami thumbed through the Rare Hunter's deck, he noticed something was rubbing off of his fingers.

"These cards were marked!" He exclaimed.

Angrily, Yami ripped up the Rare Hunter's cards and tossed the pieces into the air.

"Now do you see, Cat?" Joey asked. "Yugi will be a tough person to beat for these Rare Hunters."

Cat was amazed. If she remembered correct, Exodia was supposed to be unbeatable! But Yami just beat him.

"Forgive me, Master!" The Rare Hunter cried as he jumped up, clutching his head. He screamed as the Millennium symbol glowed on his forehead.

Suddenly…he became calm and a blank look came onto the Rare Hunter's face.

And then, they heard another voice emerge from him.

"Remember me, Pharaoh?" The voice asked. "Congratulations on defeating my Rare Hunter. But this was the weakest of my duelists."

Cat looked shocked. "The weakest?" She repeated.

"My other duelists will prove much more formidable. I've waited for you for years. And finally I will destroy you!" The voice said. "Right now, I've trapped the Rare Hunter's mind in the Shadow Realm."

The mysterious man proved his control by making the Rare Hunter dance like a broken doll.

"How are you controlling the Rare Hunter?" Yami asked.

"All of the Millennium Items have their own power. And the power of the Millennium Rod is mind control!" The voice explained.

Was this the great evil that Ishizu warned Yami about?

"My name is Marik." The voice introduced himself.

"What do you want?" Yami asked.

"I want what belongs to me." Marik replied. "And I'll take it using the power of the Egyptian God cards!"

"You'll never claim the Millennium Puzzle!" Yami snapped.

"Oh, but I want more than the power of the Puzzle. I want the power of the Pharaoh himself! Plus I want the secrets of the girl you have just met." Marik said.

Yami looked shocked at looked at Cat, who looked equally shocked.

"Secrets?" Cat repeated.

"That's right. It appears you have not learned of them yet, my dear. But it does not matter if you do or not. With that power and those secrets, I will conquer and rule the world!" Marik laughed.

"It's my destiny to stand in between you and that power you seek!" Yami said sternly to Marik.

"Enjoy the game while you still can." Marik said. "Your reign is coming to an end!"

And with that, Marik broke his control over the Rare Hunter.  
The Rare Hunter's body collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Yami sighed and turned to Joey and Cat, walking up to them.

Cat was lost in thought. What secrets was Marik talking about? What secrets did she possibly have that were so important to Marik, that he needed them to take over the world?

Cat wondered to herself if it had anything to do with her cartouche…and the mysterious name on the back.

"Here Joey. This belongs to you." Yami said, holding out the Red Eyes Black Dragon to Joey.

Joey shook his head.

"It isn't mine to take, Pal. You won it fair and square." He said. "With the Rare Hunters filling their decks with so many rare cards, you're going to need all the powerful monsters you can get. You can think of me whenever you play my Red Eyes. You helped me at Duelist Kingdom, taught me rules and strategies, and now it's my turn to help you. A part of me will be a part of your deck. I still have a rare card I can use as my stake in the Battle City Tournament anyways. The Time Wizard card you gave me. You and I are a team. And we'll beat Marik and his goons together!

Besides…if I get that card back, I want to win it back from you in a duel. If I take it right now, I won't be a True Duelist and neither I or the Red Eyes can accept that."

Yami smiled.

"Thank you. You're a true friend." He said and the two shook hands.

Anzu ran along the streets and stopped on a walkway. She spotted Joey and Yami shaking hands and Cat standing next to them. She ran off to join them.

"Okay then! Let's split and find more duelists!" Joey said with a grin.

Yami nodded and turned to Cat.

"Cat, do you want to stick with one of us?" He asked.

Cat stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"No…that's okay. I've got to try and take care of myself. Watching you duel was inspiring to me. And now that I know what Marik and his Rare Hunters want from me, I can try and protect myself better than before." She said. "I can't depend on you guys all the time. That would only burden you."

"Alright. Only if you're sure. If you ever get into any trouble, find help. If me, Joey or anyone else you know is nearby, ask them for help." Yami said.

Cat smiled. "Right. Thank you Yami." She said.

The three split up.

And by that time, Anzu had just arrived at the plaza. She looked around, trying to find them.

She ran in Yami's direction. "Wait for me!" She called.

It didn't take long for Joey to spot another duel. He ran up to check it out.

The two people that were dueling were Espa Roba and Rex Raptor!

Espa Roba was winning.

"I knew you were going to play your Serpent Night Dragon." Espa said to Rex. "So I had my Mesmeric Control ready to go."

"Hey! How could you have known what card I was going to play?" Rex asked.

"I'm psychic!" Espa simply replied before his Jinzo destroyed Rex's Serpent Night Dragon, causing him to win the duel.

Rex looked devastated as he handed over his locator card and his Serpent Night Dragon.

Espa looked around at the crowd that was watching them, for his next victim.

Most of the other duelists were afraid of Espa's ESP powers and made up lame excuses on why they didn't want to duel.

Espa continued to search the crowd and spotted Joey.

"You!" He pointed at Joey. "How about a duel? You look rather clueless."

Rex went up to Joey.

"I wouldn't duel him if I were you. He'll read you mind and discover all of your moves before you make them!" He warned Joey.

"Whatever! I accept your challenge! I beat Rex at Duelist Kingdom!" Joey said. "And besides! I make my own rules! Rule One!: Never back down from a challenge! And Rule Two!: Seek opponents with crazy dueling techniques!" Joey cried.

"Ah…I recognize you. You're Jonouchi Katsuya, the runner-up at Duelist Kingdom. I'd be honored to duel you." Espa said.

Joey grinned. Those words just fed his ego.

"Hey Shizuka!" Honda said.  
He had just arrived at the hospital to come and visit Shizuka. He brought a laptop with him.

"I brought a laptop so we can watch Joey's duel since all the duels are being shown live on the Internet." He said.

"But Honda…I can't see with these bandages over my eyes." Shizuka reminded him.

"Don't worry, I'll watch and give you the play-by-play. But first…" Honda said with a big sweatdrop forming on his head. "I need to figure out how to turn the computer on."

Anzu was still searching for Yugi, Cat and Joey.

Yami was walking down a street and stopped when he overheard some kids talking about Joey's duel with Espa Roba.

"I guess I should check it out too." He muttered to himself.

The duel was long.

But Joey came out victorious in the end.

Yami had watched the duel from a rooftop and found out that Espa was a fake!

But he kept it quite.

Espa's little brothers (that all looked exactly like Espa), were looking at Joey's cards with binoculars, and telling Espa what they were through a radio.

Mokuba caught them, but realized that Yami had seen them nearby. Then decided to give them a second chance because he knew that Yugi would have given them a second chance. Plus he knew what their situation was. They were doing it for their big brother.

Anzu and Yugi's Grandpa met up and found Joey. Honda called Anzu and gave her a message to give to Joey.

Once they found Joey, Anzu delivered the message, which gave Joey strength to beat the duel.

Everyone cheered happily when Joey won.

Honda and Shizuka celebrated from the hospital.

Rex was astonished that Joey won.

"Congratulations." Yami said, still watching from the rooftop.

Espa fell to his knees in defeat.

Joey walked up to him. "That was a tough duel. But now you gotta hand over your locator card and Jinzo to me." He said.

"Please don't take them!" Espa begged with tears in his eyes.

The crowd was now mocking Espa, laughing at his psychic act. Espa glared at all of them.

"Stand up and take it! Everyone loses once in a while." Joey said.

Espa didn't look convinced. "People count on me!" He insisted. "I can't lose! I'm dueling for my brothers!"

Joey's face softened at what he just said and bent down, offering Espa a hand.

Espa frowned and knocked his hand away. And just when he did that, the radio receiver fell out of his ear.

Joey frowned and turned away. But he jumped when he heard a voice coming from the receiver.

It was Espa's brothers.

"We're not disappointed in you, brother!" One of them said. "You played an awesome duel! And you did it without cheating!"

Espa looked up and saw his brothers standing at the edge of the crowd, tears in their eyes.

"In our book, you're a winner." They said.

Espa stood up and the brothers hugged him.

"Good work, Joey. I know you'd find your strength." Yami said, still on the rooftop, before walking away.

Espa handed over his Jinzo and locator card to Joey.

"I'm sorry for cheating." He apologized.

"It's okay." Joey said, accepting the cards and turned to leave. "Smell you later, Roba brothers!" He said all dorky-like.

He stopped for a moment.

"You have brothers. While I have a sister and my friends to support me. As long as we have that, nobody loses." He said.   
Joey then joined up with Anzu and Mr. Muto.

They congratulated Joey.

Yami, who wasn't too far away, watched them with a smile before walking away.

My first duel in the tournament. Joey thought to himself.

Not a bad start…but there'll be tough times ahead, but I know I'm not alone in it.

"This Rare card sucks!" A kid said. He just won a duel against another kid. "This hardly qualifies as a rare card! Give me two!"

"B-But that's against the rules!" The other kid protested. "I gave you my rare card! I'm not giving you another!"

The other kid glared at the other and was about to punch him, until they heard a whistle.

Mokuba had showed up.  
"I'm calling this duel a foul!" He said. "If you want to stay in the tournament, then you have to do what I say!"

"Or what?" The kid sneered.

"Or you'll have to deal with me."

The kid looked up to find Kaiba standing behind Mokuba.

He placed his suitcase on the ground and opened it, showing a huge card collection.

"It's time you learned some respect." Kaiba said.

The kid practically drooled over Kaiba's rare cards.

"I challenge you to a duel. Use these cards to boost your pathetic deck." Kaiba said.

The kid smirked. "Fine." He said.

It wasn't long until a HUGE monster towered over the city!

Kaiba was able to summon Obelisk the Tormentor.

The kid was left quivering in the alley, cards floating around him. He was stunned by the terrible power of the Egyptian God card!

Kaiba walked away with Mokuba.

"It's time to find a real opponent. Yugi." Kaiba said.

Nobody messes with my little brother. Kaiba thought to himself as Mokuba gazed at Kaiba, adoringly, carrying his suitcase for him.

Especially with a God card in my deck. Kaiba thought to himself. If my plan is working, the other two God cards are somewhere in the city. Once I win them, and have all three God cards in my deck, no one will beat me! Not even Yugi.

Cat walked among the streets. So far so good.

She had won one locator card, without any encounters from any Rare Hunters.

But one thing that continued to confuse her was the "secrets" Marik spoke of. She was desperately trying to figure out what they were.

Cat was thinking so hard about it; she didn't bother to look for cars as she began to cross the street.

"WATCH IT!" Someone cried.

Cat snapped out of her thoughts and looked over to see a large truck coming her way. She gasped and just before she was about to get hit, someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back onto the sidewalk as the truck passed them, blowing it's horn.

Cat took a deep breath, trying to slow her heart.

"What were you doing?! Don't tell me the pressure of the tournament has already gone to your head!"

Cat turned around and was face to face with another girl.

It was Kay!

She was wearing a white jacket with a dark blue tube top and blue jeans with black boots. She also had a duel disk on her arm.

Kay had her hands on her hips, almost as if she was waiting for an explanation.

"Oh…I-I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something, and I guess I wasn't paying attention." Cat explained. "Thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing. Just don't "get lost in thought" again. It seems to be a dangerous thing for a girl like you." Kay said. After this statement, Kay tilted her head slightly, not taking her hands off her hips. "Hey…I think I've seen you around at school. You hang out with Yugi Muto and his friends. You're new to this city, aren't you?"

Cat nodded in reply.

"I see." Kay said, crossing her arms over her chest. After a small pause, she smiled kindly. "My name is Kay Simms. I'm good friends with Seto Kaiba. What's your name?"

"I'm Cat Tsuru." Cat said and paused. "W-wait! You're friends with Seto Kaiba?"

Kay nodded proudly. "You bet! And sometimes I work for him, watching after his little brother, Mokuba, when he's busy." She said. "Have you been dueling long?"

Cat shook her head. "No…but Yugi taught me a few things." She said.

"I see. Anyways, I guess I'll go look for some more duelists." Kay said. "Good luck, alright? Maybe we can duel sometime."

Kay waved and started to walk off.

Cat waved after her. "Alright…see you." She said.

Once Kay was out of sight, Cat stopped waving.

"If she's friends with Kaiba, she would probably crush me in a duel." She said to herself uneasily.


	7. The Illusionist

"Master Marik…Obelisk the Tormentor has just been played in Battle City. And the owner of the card is Seto Kaiba." A man in a Rare Hunter cloak, informed Marik.

They were in Marik's secret hideout, and the servant's name was Odion.

"I knew it." Marik said. "Ishizu is conspiring against me…and gave Kaiba the card to stop me. I remember when I found the Winged Dragon of Ra card in Egypt. My second God card. One more and I would be unstoppable! But my sister, Ishizu confronted me as I left the underground vault where the card had been hidden. She told me that her Millennium Necklace told her that I would betray her. Three thousand years ago, our family swore to protect the Pharaoh's tomb. She wouldn't imagine that one of their own would be their greatest threat. I told her I was claming what should have been mine from the beginning! Although she warned me that I'd never find the third God card. I tried using the Millennium Rod against her, but her Millennium Necklace protected her."

Odion listened.

"I know that Ishizu gave Obelisk to Kaiba in order to tempt him to hold the Battle City tournament. But…Kaiba doesn't understand the true strength of the God cards. Once I have them all, the power of the Pharaoh will be mine!" Marik cried. "Tsk…but what irritates me the most right now is that Slifer the Sky Dragon just disappeared. I don't know how it could have happened…but…I'm sure someone in this tournament is holding it. And we will find them and get the God card back! But first…I'll have to soften up the Pharaoh a bit. My minions! Dispatch Arkana to take care of Yugi Muto!"

Honda walked to the door of Shizuka's hospital room to head to the tournament.

"Honda…wait." Shizuka said.

Honda turned around.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Will you take me to the Battle City Tournament on the day I get my bandages off? I want the first sight I see to be my brother dueling." Shizuka said.

Honda smiled.

"Okay." He said with a nod.

"You did a great job Joey!" Anzu said.

"Shizuka should have her bandages off soon. So you must try hard for her." Grandpa said to Joey.

Joey nodded.

"Of course! Well…I'm going to go and look for another duel. See you two later, okay?" He said before turning and leaving.

"Hey Mr. Muto. How about we go look for Yugi?" Anzu suggested.

"Good idea. I'd like to see how my grandson is doing." Grandpa said.

They both turned and went their separate ways from Joey.

Yami looked at the Red Eyes Black Dragon card.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit.

"I'm glad Joey let us hang onto it. Now we have Joey's heart in our deck!" He said. "With Marik and the Rare Hunters after us, we're going to need all the help we can get. I just hope Joey can survive the tournament without it!"

"Joey's a great duelist, and he gets better with every duel. He beat Espa Roba without his Red Eyes." Yami said.

"Yeah. Maybe we need the Red Eyes to help us fight Marik." Yugi agreed. "We don't even know what he looks like! How will we know when he strikes next?"

"YAMI!"

Yami and Yugi looked up to find Cat running towards them.

"Cat?" Yami asked.

Cat stopped in front of them and bent over, catching her breath. Once she could talk, she looked up. "I found you." She said with a tired smile. "How are you doing in the tournament?"

Yami smiled at her. "I'm doing fine. But I should ask you the same thing." He said.

"I dunno…if winning one locator card is a good thing, then I must be doing okay!" Cat said, looking proud of herself.

"That's great!" Yami chuckled. "Keep it up and you'll be in the finals in no time."

Cat laughed and rubbed the back of her head. "That…might be asking for too much."

But their conversation was cut short when a man popped out from behind the nearby trees.

"Hello Yugi." The man said.

Cat and Yami turned and looked at the strange man.

"My master is waiting for you inside the tent over there." The man said.

The two turned their heads slightly to find a large tent nearby.

Yami frowned.

"Cat…maybe you should leave. I have a feeling this could be dangerous." He said in a serious tone.

"Well…I understand your concern. But…I'd feel safer with you." Cat said.

Yami was about to protest, but the man spoke up again.

"If you're concerned about your little friend, I'd be happy to take care of her." The strange man chuckled evilly.

Cat tensed up and moved a little behind Yami, scared.

"On second thought…maybe you should stay with me." Yami said and began to move towards the tent, Cat not far behind.

While this was happening, Anzu and Grandpa were just passing by. They spotted Cat and Yami going inside the tent.

"YUGI! CAT!" Anzu called to them. But they didn't hear.

Inside, the two spotted a Magic Box set up on a stage. The strange man from earlier was there, beckoning them to enter it.

Anzu and Grandpa entered the tent just in time to see Cat and Yami disappear into the Magic Box, just as it collapsed, leaving no sign of the two!

Anzu and Grandpa gasped in shock.

"YUGI! CAT!" Anzu cried.

"Seto! I've just received word that Yugi and his friend has disappeared from the tournament surveillance system! Their Duel Disk system is being blocked somehow!" Mokuba reported, looking at his hand-held computer.

"What? That's impossible!" Kaiba said. "I guess we'd better fine them."

Yami and Cat exited the Magic Box and into a dark room, where they see a computer displaying Yami's Battle City duelist data.

"What? Why does it have your data on the screen?" Cat asked, still partly hiding behind Yami.

All of the sudden, the Dark Magician in his profile changed. Its cloak turned red and its smile turned evil.

The new and strange Dark Magician materialized itself into the room.

Cat cried out in terror as it appeared in front of them.

"You're not worthy to have me in your deck. It's time you met the true master of the Dark Magician!" The strange Dark Magician said to Yami.

Yami grinned.

"Enough of these tricks." He said.

Suddenly, the duelist appeared.

"Hello Yugi Muto. I am the illusionist, Arkana! Soon your Dark Magician will be playing for me!" Arkana said.

Cat stared at the strange Rare Hunter. He had long purple hair in a ponytail and his skin was fairly pale. He wore a strange red suit with a black and green striped mask, which matched his bowtie.

Finally, he had a duel disk on his arm, white shoes and a red, black and green hat.

"I accept your challenge Arkana! Every duelist chooses cards for his or her deck from many types of cards." Yami said. "But sometimes a card can choose a duelist. And the Dark Magician has chosen me."

Yami held up his Dark Magician card to prove his point.

Cat listened to Yami's words carefully. She started to wonder…if the Dark Magician Girl, who brought her here, had chosen her?

"Hmph. Follow me." Arkana said as he led Yami and Cat downstairs to a dueling arena. "Your superiors have ordered a real spectacle!"

"Who are you working for?" Yami asked.

"I'm sorry, but I can't say." Arkana replied.

"Yami…I have a strong feeling that he may work for Marik." Cat whispered to Yami, not moving from her comfort zone, behind Yami.

Yami nodded in agreement.

Once the two men entered the dueling arena, Cat stayed behind outside of the arena, knowing this was Yami's duel. All she could do was watch.

The two men met in the center of the arena and shuffled each other's decks.

"Don't try any sleight of hand." Yami warned Arkana.

"Heh…okay then. If you're so worried, we'll cut each other's decks. Just to be safe." Arkana said.

The two did so on the table that was in the center of the arena.

Once they gave each other their decks back, the table sunk down into the floor. Then, the floor beneath them moved back into their dueling positions; locking their legs in place with shackles that emerged from the sides of the ring.

"Now neither of us can escape!" Arkana laughed. "But there's an extra twist."

Once he said that, two whirling saws came out of the sides of the rings.

(In the Japanese version, they're not "Dark energy disks, they're real saws. I thought the real saws would be more interesting.)

"The saws will get closer to each player as his life points decrease. The loser will be cut in half!" Arkana explained and two boxes rose in between their feet. "These boxes contain the key to unlock our shackles. The box will only open when the player's opponent's score reaches zero, so only the winner will be able to escape."

Cat gasped and covered her mouth in horror. She was seriously started to feel fear.

"Is this…the true nature of the Rare Hunters?" She whispered to herself as she felt her legs starting to shake. She was almost too scared to watch.

"Are you some kind of demented madman?!" Yami asked.

"I'm just undefeated." Arkana said simply.

"Not for long." Yami growled.

The duel began.

Only after three turns, Yami was able to summon his Dark Magician.

The Dark Magician launched a direct attack on Arkana, causing his life points to go down to 1500 points.

Arkana's saw came closer to him.

"Arkana! Stop the duel and end this madness! My Dark Magician has already taken over half of your life points! One more direct attack and you're done for." Yami said.

Arkana only laughed.

"I'm a master magician, and I've saved the best trick for last!" He said.

"He's a madman." Cat said.

Outside, Anzu and Grandpa walked around the streets.

"What could have happened to them?" Anzu wondered.

"We've got to search every inch of the city until we find them." Grandpa said.

"Mr. Muto…you don't think…that they were kidnapped by the Rare Hunters, do you? Just like Joey predicted?" Anzu asked.

"Anzu, I don't know. Let's just hope we find them soon." Grandpa said in a serious tone.

The duel wasn't going to well. So far it was a stalemate.

"Arkana! Unlock our shackles so we can finish the duel honorably!" Yami demanded.

"No!" Arkana refused.

"Tell me what's going on then! Why are you dueling for Marik?" Yami asked.

Arkana removed his mask, causing Yami and Cat to gasp in shock.

"Once, I was a world-renowned stage magician. I was in love with my assistant, Kathryn. We were going to be married, but then a routine escape trick went wrong and an explosion destroyed my career and my good looks!" Arkana explained. "I drove Kathryn away from me…unable to let her see me. And by the time I'd realized my mistake, she was gone. Then I met Marik, who promised to help me win Kathryn back if I destroyed you, Yugi!"

"Working with Marik will only bring you more suffering!" Yami warned him.

"Why should I listen to you? I'm counting on Marik to bring Kathryn back!" Arkana cried and snapped his fingers, causing a door to open, revealing a shadowy form of a woman sitting behind a curtain.

"This is my Kathryn, waiting for me to destroy you, Yugi! Once I do that, me and my darling can go away together!"

Cat looked at the form of the woman.

Was that really her? No…it couldn't be.

"You're a fool to trust Marik! You should put your trust in yourself and in you cards!" Yami snapped.

"They're just cards." Arkana said.

"I don't think so. My heart is in my deck." Yami disagreed.

"You depend too much on your Dark Magician to protect you! I designed my deck with one purpose: To take your Dark Magician away from you!" Arkana said.

Anzu and Grandpa ran through the streets, still desperately searching for Cat and Yami.

During this time, Kaiba and Mokuba had returned to Kaiba Corp's Battle City headquarters, also searching for Yami and Cat.

"If Yugi, his friend and their opponent's duel disks are cut off from the Kaiba Corporation's computers, they must be playing somewhere that has its own internal computer dueling system." Kaiba said. "Find all computer systems within Battle City that are compatible with Kaiba Corp's! And let me know if any of them refuse to identify themselves!"

"I'll keep looking around." Mokuba said and left the room, while Kaiba waited for his employees to do what he had told them to do.

Anzu and Grandpa stopped a moment to rest. They looked up when they spotted Mokuba running towards them.

"Hey guys!" Mokuba called. "Kaiba has just found out where Yugi and your friend are! I'm headed there right now!"

"Then we'll join you." Grandpa said.

It was a while until both Yami's and Arkana's Dark Magicians were in the graveyard.

Yami had just played "Dark Magic Curtain", which allowed him to summon, Dark Magician Girl.

Arkana had another Dark Magician on the field and ordered him to attack the DMG, but in response, Arkana's Dark Magician was destroyed.

"What?! How can this be? My monster was stronger!" Arkana cried.

Cat looked at the Dark Magician Girl.

"She still has tons of questions to answer for me…but now isn't the time to ask them." She muttered to herself.

"Dark Magician Girl gains 300 attack points for every Dark Magician in the graveyard, making her strong enough to defeat your Dark Magician." Yami explained.

"But you had only one Dark Magician in your graveyard!" Arkana protested. "She shouldn't have been able to beat my Dark Magician!"

"There are two Dark Magician's in the graveyard. Mine and yours." Yami explained. "Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack Arkana's life points directly!"

The Dark Magician Girl did so, causing Yami to win the duel.


	8. Stolen God Card

Mokuba, Anzu and Grandpa had finally reached the building where Yami and Cat were in.

"According to Kaiba Corp. computers, they should be here!" Mokuba said.

Honda rode up, right when they reached the building.

"Hey guys! What's up?" He asked.

"Yugi and Cat have gone missing!" Grandpa exclaimed.

"And we think that they're trapped here." Mokuba said.

"Oh really? Then I'm gonna get ready to break some doors down!" Honda said, parking his motorcycle.

"You lost due to your disrespect and misuse of your cards." Yami said to Arkana.

The saw was moving towards Arkana now. But the box at Yami's feet opened, revealing a locator card and a key.

In the building elsewhere, Mokuba, Honda, Anzu, and Grandpa ran down the stairs, calling out to Yami and Cat.

But they stopped.

"Oh great! A large door!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"And it's bolted shut!" Anzu pointed out.

A real magician always has a trick up his sleeve…Arkana thought to himself. A spare key!

He had hidden an extra key in his sleeve just in case.

Arkana was about to use the key until he froze.

"You didn't hold up your end of the bargain!" Marik said. He was now in Arkana's mind. "Now you must accept your punishment!"

"Please Master Marik! Give me another chance!" Arkana cried.

Marik then made the extra key Arkana had disappear.

Yami unlocked his own shackles and glared at Arkana.

Cat covered her eyes. "Yami! He's going to be killed!" She cried. "Not even he deserves that! Marik tricked him!"

Yami looked at Cat, slightly surprised.

He looked over at the door when he heard their friends pounding on it. Yugi then took over. He rushed across the duel ring and snatched up Arkana's key. Quickly, he unlocked Arkana's shackles just in time to pull him free away from the saw.

"You're right Cat. It's wrong to die for a game." Yugi said.

Cat uncovered her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief.

But Arkana had completely lost it now.

"KATHRYN!" He cried and ran towards the figure behind the curtain, which turned out to be a dummy that only looked like his lost love.

He hugged the doll.

"Kathryn…please come back…"Arkana begged.

Cat felt bad for Arkana and walked towards him.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

But when Arkana turned around…Marik had taken over.

Cat squeaked and jumped back, standing next to Yugi.

"You coward! Show your face!" Yugi snapped at Marik.

"I'll appear when I'm ready to take what I want. The power of the Pharaoh, the spirit living in your Puzzle. And those secrets the girl next to you holds." Marik replied. "Those powers are rightfully mine! My family has slaved for centuries, protecting the Pharaoh's tomb until his return!"

"That power belongs to the Pharaoh! And those secrets belong to Cat! I won't let you take them!" Yugi snapped.

"Good luck then, kid. I've studied the ancient scriptures, and I know how to harness the power with the three God cards and the Millennium Puzzle. But I can't just take the Puzzle…I have to win it in a duel. Then I'll kill you both so you can't interfere! I already have one God card! I know where the second one is, but the third has disappeared. I once had it in my grasp, but it mysteriously disappeared. And I have a hunch that someone in Battle City owns it. And I WILL find out who it is! It's only a matter of time until my Rare Hunters bring them to me!" Marik said.

"As long as me and the Pharaoh stay connected, we can defeat you, Marik!" Yugi cried.

"Another one of my Rare Hunters is already in Battle City, preparing to duel you! Beware the Quiet One!" Marik said before he released Arkana just Mokuba, Grandpa, Honda and Anzu break through the door.

"Odion…the Quiet One will soon crush Yugi and bring the Millennium Puzzle to me. I'm not worried about Kaiba. I think I can easily defeat him and take Obelisk the Tormentor." Marik said. "Watch out for Yugi's friends. They could get in the way. Perhaps they'll prove useful. I could always use more servants. But once the Pharaoh is defeated, we'll also need to capture that girl…which should be easy, for when the Pharaoh isn't able to protect her, we'll catch her. She probably wouldn't put up much of a fight anyways."

Marik stood up and picked up his God card, The Winged Dragon of Ra.

"Soon I'll combine its power with that of the other God cards, Slifer the Sky Dragon and Obelisk the Tormentor." Marik said, allowing his cloak to fall, revealing a design etched into his back, which were the stone carvings of the three God cards.

"In accordance with the ancient scriptures, the unlimited power of the Pharaoh will be mine! And those hidden secrets will help the downfall of the Pharaoh!"

A Rare Hunter approached Marik from behind and bowed down on one knee.

"Master Marik…it has just been reported…we know where Slifer the Sky Dragon is." He said.

Marik turned to the Rare Hunter. "Excellent! Who has it?"

"A young girl named Cat Tsuru. She had played it recently." The Rare Hunter reported.

"THAT girl?!" Marik cried. "How could she have possibly obtained it?" He paused. "Never mind about that." He smirked. "I think we need to pay a little visit to our friend, Cat."

Cat fell backwards onto the plush couch in Yugi's home.

"What a day!" She sighed. "Two rare hunters…and all that information…it can't be too good for a person. I wonder how Yugi does it?"

Earlier that day, after the duel with Arkana, Cat and Yugi went home to practice more dueling. They did it with their duel disks this time.

While they were training, Cat was able to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon. She would have won the duel, only Grandpa Muto interrupted it, asking them to do some chores for him.

Grandpa Muto walked in.

"Hello Cat! Say, can I ask a favor from you?" He asked.

Cat looked over at him.

"Sure! Ask me anything!" She said with a smile.

"As you know, I'm an old man and my ticker just isn't how it used to be. So I'm worn out from today…and Yugi's taking a shower. Would it be too much to ask if you could run out and grab a few dinner ingredients for me?" Grandpa Muto asked.

"Sure!" Cat said standing up.

"Thank you so much, Cat." Grandpa said handing her the list of things he needed and some money. "Now you do remember where the store is, right?"

Cat nodded.

"I'll be back then!" She said and left the house.

Grandpa waved as she left.

Once he stopped waving he pondered for a moment.

"Now that I think about it…maybe I shouldn't have let her run around the city at night." He said to himself. "Oh well…once Yugi's out of the shower, I'll ask him if he can follow her, just to make sure she's okay."

Cat walked along the dark streets of Domino City. Streetlights the only light.

"Hm…" She said to herself and stopped. "If I go through the park, it'll be a shortcut." She shrugged. "I see no reason why not."

She continued on, smiling…not noticing the dark shadows watching her.

It wasn't too long until she reached Domino Park. She started to make her way through there…although there weren't as many street lights as there were on the sidewalks, so the area was fairly dark.

As Cat walked deeper into the Park, the area started to feel more and more unsafe.

"Maybe…I-I shouldn't have taken the shortcut." She said to herself, but continued on anyways.

She froze and gasped when she heard a loud rustle. She whipped her head around to see if anyone as there.

"I hope that was just an animal." She said to herself and slowly started to move on.

The noise came again and Cat automatically turned around.

"Who's there?!" She cried.

Silence…

All of the sudden, a strong arm caught her in a headlock from behind!

Cat screamed until her mouth was covered as well.

It was a Rare Hunter!

Another, less strong looking Rare Hunter approached Cat.

"Well, well…Lookie what we found. A little lost rabbit!" He laughed and took her deck from her belt carrier and started looking though it.

Cat struggled and finally pulled the other Rare Hunter's hand off her mouth.

"What are you doing?! Stop it! That's my deck!" She cried.

"I realize that missy." The Rare Hunter said, not looking up from her deck. "Ah Ha!" He stopped at one card and pulled it out from the deck. "This is what we're lookin' for. Slifer the Sky Dragon!"

"What?! No! Give it back! I promised Yugi and the Pharaoh I would take care of it!" Cat cried and struggled harder.

The Rare Hunters chuckled.

"Don't fret miss. You'll get to stay with it a little while longer." The Rare Hunter said, putting Cat's deck back in her carrier. "You're comin' with us!"

Cat gasped as the Rare Hunters laughed.

All of the sudden, the Rare Hunter holding Cat, was hit from behind, causing the Rare Hunter to fall over to the side, twitching in pain.

Cat stared at the Rare Hunter in shock. What happened?

"Cat! Are you alright?"

Cat turned her head.

"Y-Yami!" She cried.

The other Rare Hunter frowned.

"What's Yugi Muto doing here?!" He growled to himself. He looked at the other Rare Hunter.

"C'mon! Let's get out of here! There's nothing we can do now!"

The other Rare Hunter got up quickly and dashed off with the other.

Cat stared at them as they ran.

Yami took a couple of steps towards her.

"Cat?" He asked.

In response, Cat fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, choking out a few sobs.

Yami became alarmed and he kneeled down next to her.

"Cat! What did they do to you?!" He asked.

"It's…gone…!" She sobbed.

"What's gone?" Yami asked.

Cat uncovered her face, revealing tears running down her face.

"They stole it! Slifer! The Egyptian God card! They stole it from me!" She cried.

Yami gasped and looked in the direction of where the Rare Hunters ran off to.

He looked back at Cat and sighed.

"It's alright Cat. Stand up." He said softly.

Cat shook her head.

"No, it's not alright! Now he has two Egyptian God cards! I failed you…I've only put the world in more danger…I'm so sorry!" She cried. "I can't be of any use to you!"

Before Yami could say anything, Cat quickly dashed off into the park.

"CAT!" Yami yelled after her.

"Well, doesn't this seem like a tight situation?"

Yami turned around.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Kay smiled. "You and I haven't met. But I've already met Cat. My name is Kay Simms. A close friend of Kaiba's. If what I heard was true, Cat got the Egyptian God Card she held, stolen. Kaiba explained to me the importance of the God cards…although…I'm sure there are a bunch of important details he hasn't learned yet." She said. "Anyways, I'll help you find Cat. From the looks of it, we don't want her running around the city by herself at night, do we?"

"Thank you." Yami said with a nod.

Cat finally found her way back to the City and had stopped to catch her breath.

"I'm such a fool." She said to herself. "They were all depending on me to protect that God card…and I lost it."

When she looked up, she spotted an arcade.

"An arcade? Maybe…they have a karaoke machine?" She wondered to herself and walked in.

Whenever Cat felt upset or stressed, she would sing. But that wasn't the only time she would sing.

She would sing if she was happy, or even if she just felt like it.

Cat looked around the arcade until she found it! A karaoke machine! A man was singing on it and a crowd was watching.

Silently, Cat made her way to the front of the crowd and watched until the man was done singing.

Everyone clapped and cheered for the man.

The man bowed and smiled at the crowd.

"Alright! Who's up next?" He asked into the microphone.

He searched the crowd until he spotted Cat.

"You! Girl with the long brown hair! Why don't you come up and sing for us?"

Some of the people in the crowd urged her to do it, and hesitantly, she made her way onto the stage.

The man handed her the mike and left the stage, leaving Cat to do the rest.

Cat looked through the list of songs to find something that was at least familiar.

She stopped on a song called, "Eternal Snow". A song she loved to sing…and it had an important meaning to her.

She selected the song and the music started.

I'm falling in love with you, and which will come to pass?

Will the feeling do nothing but swell, or

Will you notice it?

Even though I've never said anything?

Like snow, but quietly

It continues to pile up

Yami and Kay continued to search the streets.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Kay said and stopped in front of the arcade.

Yami walked up to her. "What is it?" He asked.

"What do you suppose the crowd is all excited about?" Kay asked.

"You don't suspect Cat's in there just because of a crowd, right?" Yami asked.

Kay shook her head.

"Not really…but there's NEVER a crowd like this here. And it doesn't hurt to look, right?" She said and walked in, Yami following her.

Hold me tight if I think like this

I didn't want to know

What it was like to fall in love with someone

I love you; my tears won't stop

Therefore, I should be free of you

How long will I keep thinking of you?

My sigh makes the window glass fog up

"There she is!" Kay said pointing at the karaoke machine.

Yami stared at Cat. He suddenly felt enchanted by her voice.

Now, a burning candle

Can't melt my shaking heart anymore?

Hold me tight, strong enough to break me

If we meet in a biting cold blizzard

I won't feel cold, and

I miss you everytime I think of you

This scarf that I knit for you

I'm holding it alone tonight

If there were an eternally falling snow

This feeling I have for you, could I hide it?

Hold me tight if I think like this

I didn't want to know

What it was like to fall in love with someone

I love you; my chest fills up

I want to cry out to the winter sky

I want to see you now

Cat moved the microphone away from her mouth as the music faded.

Once the music stopped, the crowd cheered loudly and called for more.

Cat smiled lightly at the crowd and shook her head.

"Sorry…only one song tonight…maybe another time." She said into the microphone and set it down before taking her leave from the stage.

Cat was making her way to the exit of the arcade until Yami and Kay finally caught up to her.

"Cat!" They both cried.

Cat turned around.

"Cat! I didn't know you could sing!" Kay said in amazement! "But then again, you and I only met today, so of course I didn't know."

"Cat…I never knew you had such a beautiful voice. Why didn't you tell us about it earlier?" Yami asked.

Cat looked down and blushed lightly.

"Well…usually I get stage fright and I'm too scared to sing in front of people. Most of the time, the only time I can actually sing in front of people is when there's a strong emotion going in me. Whether it's sadness, happiness, anger, or whatever. But I don't do it that much." She explained. "Other times I sing is usually just whenever I feel like it."

Yami smiled at her. "You should do it more often. I'd love to hear more of your singing." He said.

Cat looked slightly embarrassed at this comment.

"Thank you." She said.

"Anyways, it's getting late. We should head home." Yami said. "It's been quite a night."

Cat looked up again and nodded.

"Yes…let's go home." She said.


	9. Planned Out Trap

Yugi, Cat and Mai waited for Joey in the Town Square in the morning for the second day of the tournament.

"Hey! Guys!" Joey called as he ran up and high-fived Mai. "Check it out!" Joey pulled out his two locator cards proudly.

"Good job, Joey. But I've already got four locator cards." Mai said with a grin.

"And I have three." Yugi said.

"What? AGH! How am I ever gonna make it to the finals?!" Joey cried.

"U-Um…don't be so upset Joey." Cat said, trying to reassure him. "There's still plenty of time left. Plus, I only have one locator card."

"Huh? Why do you only have one? You're way behind." Joey said.

Cat smiled weakly. "Yeah well…I haven't gotten to duel much." She replied.

"What do you mean by that? You had a whole day yesterday." Mai said.

"Maybe you should take today to focus on nothing but getting more locator cards. We know you can do it." Yugi said.

"Yeah…but…what about…" Cat was cut off.

"Don't worry about the Rare Hunters or us. We'll be fine. But you can start worrying if you run into one, okay?" Yugi laughed.

"Yeah! Don't worry about it!" Joey said with a grin. "How about this. Met up with us all later, and we'll all have lunch together and talk about our progress, alright?"

"Alright." Cat said with a small smile before the four duelists went their separate ways.

Anzu and Honda had just arrived at Yugi's house to meet up with him and Cat.

"Hey Gramps! Where's Yugi and Cat?" Honda asked.

"You two are a little too late. Yugi and Cat already left." Mr. Muto replied.

"This is your fault Honda! We wouldn't have been late if you didn't take so long, flirting with Shizuka on the PHONE!" Anzu yelled at Honda. "I'm afraid I'll never get to see Yugi duel!"

"Now, now you kids. I'll come along with you guys to help find them. No need to fight." Grandpa said.

Joey walked along the street, searching for a duel.

"Excuse me!"

Joey turned around and looked down to find a young boy.

"Katsuya Jonouchi, right? I'm your biggest fan! Can I have your autograph?" The boy asked, holding a paper and pencil.

Joey grinned, very pleased that the boy recognized him.

"Anything for my fans!" He said and signed the paper.

"My sister has a huge crush on you." The boy said.

"Is that so?" Joey said with a bigger grin, returning the paper.

"Yeah. " The boy said with a nod. "Whoa! You're duel disk is awesome! Could I try it on?"

"Sure!" Joey said taking it off and handing it to the boy.

But once the boy had it, he immediately started running away with it.

"HEY! You little brat!" Joey yelled and chased the boy.

Grandpa, Honda and Anzu were standing on a footbridge when they suddenly saw Joey chasing the kid.

"Is that Joey?" Anzu asked.

"It is!" Grandpa said. "And that boy he's chasing seems to have his duel disk!"

Honda quickly jumped down from the footbridge and snagged the kid.

"AHH! I'm sorry!" The boy cried while Joey finally caught up. Grandpa and Anzu finally met up with them as well. "Someone stole my deck and I wanted to play in the tournament!"

"Who stole your deck?" Anzu asked.

"It was a guy with bug eyes and a head like a blue beetle." The kid described.

"That sounds an awful lot like Weevil Underwood." Joey said suspiciously.

"Let's go find him! Don't worry. We'll get your deck back." Honda said.

The five ran off to find Weevil. But once they were out of sight, the boy smiled evilly and rushed off to meet Weevil in an alley.

"I did just what you asked. Now I want that rare card you promised me." The boy said.

Weevil handed him a card, but the boy wasn't happy when he saw that it was just an ordinary card.

"Hey! This isn't a rare card!" The boy snapped.

"How observant." Weevil said and squirted him with some sort of insect-like web gun. Weevil then ran off laughing.

"I'll defeat Jonouchi first…then I'll finish off Yugi, in revenge for what he did to me at Duelist Kingdom!"

The five had just ran into Weevil in Domino Park.

"I'm gonna beat you for stealing that kid's cards!" Honda snapped at Weevil.

"Hold on, Honda. How about we settle all this with a duel?" Joey suggested.

"That's fine. We'll wager two locator cards! Whoever loses will be out of the tournament!" Weevil said, sounding confident.

"That's fine with me!" Joey said.

"Be careful man." Honda said to Joey.

The duel lasted a long time until Joey came out victorious. Now he had four locator cards!

A crowd was watching the duel on a big screen on the side of a building. People talked to each other excitedly; exclaiming that Joey was quite the duelist!

Yugi was passing by and stopped to see what was going on.

He smiled when he realized that Joey had won another duel.

"He won another duel! And he did it all without his Red Eyes." He said to himself happily.

I know it's my destiny to help the Pharaoh save the world, and I have a feeling, Joey's Red Eyes will help me. It won't be easy, with Marik's Rare Hunters after me. But I'll be ready! Yugi thought to himself.

A strange mime was standing on a park bench. He had been there for a long time. Ever since the morning where he watched Yugi and the others.

Cat was sitting on a bench somewhere in the city, taking a break. She had already won three more locator cards.

Two of them were from a headstrong kid that thought he could beat anyone and was confident enough to wager all the locator cards he had. And the other one was just a normal duel.

"I'm finally catching up." Cat said to herself, looking up at the blue sky. "Maybe I should go out and find everyone else now. It's about noon."

Cat got up and stretched before running off to find her friends.

Joey walked down the street with Honda, Grandpa and Anzu. They were all celebrating Joey's win against Weevil.

"Now I'm only two locator cards away from the finals!" Joey said with a huge grin.

"Congratulations!" Anzu said.

"Yeah! Great job!" Honda said as well.

"Now you're ready for anything. Having dueled two opponents who were also major cheaters." Grandpa said.

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm still worried about Yugi." Anzu said.

"Yeah. I wish Yug and Cat could have seen my last duel." Joey said.

"It's about noon. You said that you wanted to meet up with them, right? Let's go look for them." Honda said. "Then after that, we can look for another duel."

Unknown to the four, though, a Rare Hunter was watching them.

Marik reached Domino harbor. He had been coming to Domino himself on a boat.

"All is going well." Marik said. "But I have one more task to complete before setting foot in Domino."

Odion approached Marik.

"Is it time?" He asked.

"Yes. I'll control the Quite One's mind and eliminate Yugi once and for all!" Marik said.

Back in the plaza, the mime hadn't moved an inch!

A group of kids had clustered around him, waving their hands in front of his face and calling to him.

But they jumped back when the mime suddenly started moving, the Millennium Eye glowing on his forehead.

He pulled out his duel disk and jumped down from the bench, running off, under Marik's control.

"Now that I have Slifer the Sky Dragon back in my possession, I'll have the Quite One use it to crush Yugi!" Marik said.

Yugi stood in front of a waterway.

"Marik keeps talking about wanting the power of the Pharaoh and wanting the secrets that Cat apparently has." Yugi said.

Yami appeared next to him in spirit.

"But you are the Pharaoh." Yugi said. "If you had all that power, wouldn't we know about it?"

"The past is still unclear to me." Yami said.

"We know that Marik's family has been protecting the Pharaoh's tomb, and for some crazy reason, Marik thinks he deserves to be the Pharaoh." Yugi said. "Although I didn't realize it when I first solved the Millennium Puzzle, I now know I was meant to have it. You and me are bonded forever and I'll help you save the world again, as you did in the past. You might have had to do it alone the first time, but you've got me to help you. Along with all our friends."

Yami smiled. "Thank you Yugi. For your friendship and support. You have the heart of a Pharaoh." He said. There was a short pause. "I sense someone coming."

Yami faded back into the Puzzle.

All of the sudden, the Quite One leaped in front of Yugi and challenged him to a duel.

"Prepare to lose your Puzzle!" The mime said.

"It's another one of Marik's mind-controlled salves!" Yugi cried. "Marik! Face me directly!"

"Using my Millennium Rod to duel through my puppet is no different from you using your Puzzle to duel." Marik replied.

Yami took over.

"It IS different! You take control of your mind slaves against their will! But I duel with honor!" He said sternly.

"I do what I have to! You don't even know how to use the power of the Pharaoh! So I'll take it away from you!" Marik said.

"That ancient power isn't yours to take!" Yami snapped.

Yugi appeared next to Yami.

"Yeah! You tell him!" He said.

"I just did." Yami said.

"Well…okay! Heh." Yugi said a little embarrassed.

The duel was just about to begin.

Ishizu stood before the stone tablets.

"The wheels of fate are in motion. My brother, Marik, faces the Pharaoh. Although Marik follows the path of evil, there is good in him. But in order for him to be saved, he must fail in his quest to become the Pharaoh." She said to herself. "And this new girl, the Pharaoh and his friends have met…she has yet to learn of her destiny."

Yami Bakura stood before the museum, his Millennium Ring pointing at it.

"It appears another Millennium Item is inside. Soon, all seven Millennium Items will belong to me!" He said to himself and began to approach the museum.

Ishizu gasped as she sensed an evil force approaching. Being quick, she hid before Yami Bakura arrived into the room.

Yami Bakura walked up to the stone tablets.

"It's been a long time since I've seen them. Once I obtain the seven Millennium Items, I'll unlock the Shadow Magic the carvings depict." He said to himself.

The spirit has some of the ancient knowledge, but not all. My brother seeks a power that is far more dangerous! Marik mustn't succeed. Only the true Pharaoh can stop him! Ishizu thought to herself while she watched Yami Bakura.

The duel between Yami and Strings had been going on for a very long time.

Although, it was unknown to his friends.

Cat was finally able to find Joey, Honda, Grandpa, and Anzu.

They all sat together as they watched a duelist look for a duel. Joey was ignoring him.

"Why didn't you challenge that guy, Joey?" Honda asked. "You could have beat him easily! And you're only two locator cards away from getting into the finals!"

"That guy was a lightweight. I have a reputation to uphold! I can't duel every inexperienced chump I see! I came second at Duelist Kingdom!" Joey said.

"It's true you've gotten better. But every good duelist knows, there's always more to learn." Grandpa said.

"What is an amateur like you wearing one of my Duel Disks?"

Everyone turned around to find Kaiba, Mokuba and Kay. They were just passing by.

Cat and Kay exchanged waves and smiles.

"Hmph." Kaiba said. "Looks like someone screwed up at registration. I'll deal with you later."

The three began to pass by.

Joey glared fiercely at Kaiba.

"I think I've found my next duel." He growled.

"Uh, dude? I don't think that's a good idea." Honda warned.

"Yeah. Remember LAST time you dueled him?" Anzu reminded him.

"Kaiba! I challenge you to a duel!" Joey snapped and pointed at Kaiba, ignoring his friend's warnings.

Mokuba turned to look at Joey.

"Dueling you would be a complete waste of my big brother's time. He's very busy!" He said.

Instead, though, Kaiba turned around and loaded up his Duel Disk.

"This won't take long." He said.

They were about to duel, but a sudden wind came up.

It was one of Kaiba's helicopters!

"A God card was just played." Kaiba's radio tells him before a rope ladder fell from the helicopter's doorway.

"Quit stallin' Kaiba!" Joey snapped.

"It's your lucky day, mutt." Kaiba said, putting away his duel disk and hopped onto the rope ladder, Mokuba following him.

"Coming Kay-chan?" Mokuba asked.

Kay shook her head.

"Nah. I want to go duel some more. You guys go ahead." She said.

Mokuba nodded and the helicopter took off.

"I would have CRUSHED Kaiba!" Joey said as he watched them fly off. Once they were out of sight, Joey sighed with relief.

"Not so tough after all, huh?" Kay asked Joey.

"Shaddap!" Joey snapped while Kay laughed.

Unknown to them, the Rare Hunter was still watching.

On the helicopter, it was shown that the God card was played in a duel with Yugi Muto!

"I have a plan." Kaiba muttered as they flew to their destination.

Yami had just bearly won the duel between Strings/Marik.

He even had to face a Slifer the Sky Dragon!

Mokuba and Kaiba were there to watch.

Mokuba cheered for Yami's win and ran down to Strings.

"Hand over your God card to Yugi." Mokuba said.

Strings didn't respond. He was now mindless.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. It's just a game." Mokuba said, thinking he was just devastated by his loss. Mokuba looked down and noticed the God card on the ground. He picked it up and handed it to Yami, along with String's locator card.

"Don't get to attached. My brother's got his eye on that dragon too." He said.

Kaiba joined the two.

"Good work, Yugi. But it's a shame you won't have Slifer for too long. I challenge you to a duel for Slifer!" He said.

Yami opened his mouth to say something, until suddenly, Marik resumed control over Strings.

"I'll be arriving in Battle City soon!" Marik cried, catching the three's attention. "Once I'm there, the power of the Pharaoh will be mine! My Rare Hunters are everywhere in Battle City! And I'm always looking for new mind slaves to control. Who will be next?"

"Man! I was seriously about to kick Kaiba's butt!" Joey ranted on.

"Uh-huh. Is that why you were so relieved when Kaiba took off?" Anzu asked.

"I said SHUT UP!" Joey snapped.

The six were unaware that the Rare Hunters were still all around them.

"I have to agree with Anzu." Kay said. "That was funny!"

Joey growled at her as Cat and Grandpa watched.

Grandpa sighed and Cat laughed lightly.

"I'm not afraid of Kaiba!" Joey snapped.

"So then, Pharaoh? Which of your friends would make the best mind slave? Jounouchi? Anzu? Cat, perhaps?" Marik asked.

Yami glared at him.

"Leave them alone!" He snapped angrily.

"What about Honda then? Or your Grandfather? Or possibly Kay?" Marik continued. "Your loyalty to your friends will destroy you!"

And with that, Marik broke his control over Strings, causing his body to collapse.

Yami turned to run back into the city determined to save his friends.

"Yugi! What are you doing?! Get back here!" Kaiba called.

"Sorry Kaiba! But our duel will have to wait!" Yami called back. "My friends are more important!"

"Good Luck Yugi!" Mokuba said.

"Running away from a challenge is against tournament rules." Kaiba mummered.

Unknown to Yami, who is running through the city streets, searching for his friends, Marik had just arrived to Domino City.

It wasn't long until Marik was on a motorcycle.

"I'm going to win my God Card back…along with Yugi's puzzle and those secrets! Then I'll be Pharaoh, and the world will cower at my feet!" He said to himself.

Yami continued to run around the streets, desperately searching for his friends. But suddenly, a pair of Rare Hunters blocked his way.

"If you want to rescue your friends, you've got to duel us both. If you refuse, your friends will be killed." The two Rare Hunters said.

"I'll duel him first!" One of the Rare Hunters said.

"Hey! No I will!" The other one objected.

"Fine! Let's settle this by Rock, Paper, Scissors!" The first one said.

"Fine!" The second one growled.

They tried Rock, Paper, Scissors, but it was getting them no where. They kept choosing the same thing.

Yami was beginning to get impatient.

"Hurry up!" He snapped.

"We'll duel you soon enough!" One of the growled.

"But we can only duel you one at a time!" The other said.

"Not if both of us duel against you." Kaiba said, walking up from behind Yami.

The Rare Hunters smirked.

"Fine. We accept your challenge!" One of them said.

"You're fools if you think you can be me and Yugi's God cards." Kaiba said and then turned to Yami.

"Once we're done with these guys, I insist we duel."

The duel didn't last long. Yami and Kaiba won easily.

"Thank you for your assistance Kaiba." Yami said and quickly ran over to the short, round Rare Hunter, grabbing him by the coat.

"Where are my friends?! Tell me!" Yami snapped.

The Rare Hunter didn't respond.

Not interested, Kaiba walked over to the Rare Hunters and collected their locator cards, tossing one to Yami.

Once Yami caught it, he started to run off again.

"Hold on, Yugi!" Kaiba called.

"I won't duel with you right now!" Yami repeated.

Kaiba sighed, irritated. "Mokuba, contact headquarters and ask them to use their satellite system to track that pathetic wannabe, Katsuya Jonouchi, Kay and Cat." He said.

Mokuba nodded.

"Thank you Kaiba." Yami said.

"I'll help you find your friends. But after that, you'd better be ready to duel me." Kaiba said.

Some nearby Rare Hunters watched Yami, Kaiba and Mokuba leave.

"Master Marik will get his wish. Everyone he wants, all in one place." One of them said.

Joey had just finished a duel with Mako Tsunami, and was talking on the phone with his sister.

"Guess what sis? I have enough locator cards to enter the Battle City finals!" Joey exclaimed happily.

"I knew all along that you'd be a finalist!" Shizuka said happily.

"I couldn't have done it without your support. I just wish you could have seen me in action!" Joey said.

"I want to come and watch you play. The doctors have given me permission to remove the bandages from my eyes tonight. And the first thing I want to see, is my brother, dueling in the Battle City finals." Shizuka said with a smile.

"Right! Well, I have to prep for the finals, but I'll send someone over to pick you up right away." Joey said before hanging up. Grinning, he threw the cell phone he was borrowing from Anzu into the air in excitement.

Anzu cried out and quickly caught it.

"Hey! Easy with the technology!" She snapped at Joey.

"Now all I have to do is find someone to go pick her up." Joey said. "But where will I find someone on such short notice?"

Honda grinned. "I'll go get her!" He eagerly volunteered.

Joey glared at Honda. "I don't know." He said.

Without another word, Honda half-strangled Joey in his excitement before rushing off before Joey could stop him.

Joey was about to call out to Honda, but stopped.

"Oh well. Honda's like family anyways." He muttered.

"That's great that your sister will be able to see again. I'd like to meet her." Cat said with a smile.

"Don't worry. You will tonight." Joey said.

Anzu smiled but stopped and gasped. "Oh no!" She exclaimed.

Everyone turned to see what she was looking at, only to find a man (Marik) holding an injured Bakura, who was wearing a bloody bandage, on his arm.

Everyone rushed up to them.

"I just found Bakura lying on the ground, and tried to take care of his injuries." Marik explained. "Do you guys know him?"

"Yeah. We're his buddies." Joey said.

"I can't…remember what happened." Bakura said weakly.

Grandpa stopped a Taxi.

"I'll take him to the hospital." He said and helped Bakura into the taxi to head off to the hospital.

Yami and Kaiba were still searching for Yami's friends.

They walked past everyone on the other side of the street just as the taxi pulled out. But they didn't see each other.

"I hope you've led me to the right place." Yami said to Kaiba.

"Relax. Your friends are here." Kaiba said.

Yami quickly rushed off through the entrance of a building, where Kaiba said his friends "apparently" were.

"Why does he care about them so much?" Kaiba muttered to himself.

"My name is Namu. It's nice to meet you." Marik said innocently.

"Thank you for helping Bakura." Anzu said.

Cat offered Marik a friendly smile, but deep down, she knew something didn't seem right.

Joey stopped and noticed the Duel Disk on Marik's arm.

"Are you a duelist?" Joey asked.

Marik looked at his Duel Disk shyly.

"I-I'm a low level duelist. I'm not that good. I hope you're not challenging me to a duel. You would crush me." He said.

"You don't have to duel me. I'm already qualified for the finals." Joey bragged.

Marik beamed. "Are you? I'd really like to get some dueling tips from you." He said.

Joey grinned.

"If Namu keeps this up, Joey will get a swelled head. And it doesn't need to be anymore swelled than it already is." Kay whispered to Cat.

Cat smiled weakly.

"Y-Yeah." She said.

"You know…I feel as though I've met you guys before." Marik said.

"Maybe. You DO seem familiar." Joey agreed and paused for a moment. "Oh, no I forgot the time! We have to head to the finals!"

"That's right." Anzu said. "Bye Namu. It was nice meeting you."

Everyone said their good-byes and walked off.

Marik grinned evilly.

"They don't even know who I am!" He chuckled. "My Rare Hunters, you must not fail me this time! Bring me the two remaining God cards and the Millennium Puzzle. And make sure little Yugi stays out of my way, permanently! I have an alternate plan to make sure I get what I want!"

After that, Marik ran after Joey.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" He called. "I never got that dueling advice from you."

Joey and everyone turned and looked at him.

"Oh that's right." Joey laughed.

Marik distracted them as three Rare Hunters began to sneak up on them.

All of the sudden, a Rare Hunter grabbed Marik, just as Marik warned Joey to look out!

Joey punched one of the Rare Hunters, but a few others had grabbed Kay, Cat and Anzu! Joey tried to come to their rescue, but two other Rare Hunters knocked Joey down.

All of the sudden, Anzu's cell phone rings. One of the Rare Hunters took it out of her bag and answered the call.

"Anzu! Are you there?"

"Yugi! Help us!" Anzu cried out.

Quickly, the Rare Hunter drops her phone and stomped on it.

"Anzu? Are you there? Where are the others?! Anzu?!" Yami called into the phone. But there was no answer. He sighed as he hung up. "We're too late. The Rare Hunters have already gotten to them."

"Don't worry. I'll track them down by satellite." Kaiba said. "But as soon as they're found, we WILL have our duel."

"I'll duel you once I know they're safe." Yami repeated.

"We can't find Joey, Kay, or Cat's Duel Disk on our tracking system. I'll return to headquarters to check further." Mokuba radioed to Kaiba.

Once he was finished with his message, he closed up his brother's briefcase and started to head back. But he was suddenly attacked by more Rare Hunters!

"Stop where you are, boy!" One of them said.

Mokuba clutched his brother's suitcase and struggled to run as fast as he could under the suitcase's weight. But they caught him easily and knock him down.

Odion loomed over him. "You're our prey." He said.

"The doctor's said you can take your bandages off tonight." A nurse said to Shizuka while she checked her blood pressure.

"I already know. The first thing I'm going to see is my brother, dueling in the Battle City finals." Shizuka said with a smile.

"Your brother is lucky to have a sister like you." The nurse said.

"I'm the lucky one. I have the best brother in the world!" Shizuka said.

It wasn't long until Honda arrived to pick Shizuka up.

The nurse had already left.

"I'm a little nervous Honda." Shizuka said. "What if the operation didn't work and I still can't see?"

"Don't worry. The doctor said the operation was a success. And besides, we'll all be there with you. You'll take the bandages off, and the first thing you'll see is your brother." Honda reassured her.

"Thank you Honda." Shizuka thanked him.

Grandpa was also at the hospital, watching over the injured Bakura, who appeared to be asleep.

But when Grandpa got up and went to the sink to freshen the wet cloth from Bakura's forehead, Yami Bakura opened his eyes, and smiled evilly.

The Rare Hunters pushed Cat, Kay and Anzu into a room full of cardboard boxes in a warehouse at the docks, locking the door behind them.

Kay pounded on the door. "LET US OUT YOU FREAKS!" She demanded. But it was no use.

Anzu had already started to try and look for a way out. "What would they want with us?" She asked. "I'm guessing these guys are the guys that are after Yugi."

Cat was in thought.

"You know…there are a lot of cardboard boxes here. Why don't we try and pile them up?" Anzu suggested.

"Not a bad idea." Kay said.

The three girls started working together to pile the boxes. Once they were finished, they admired their work.

"Since it was your idea, you should go first, Anzu." Cat said.

Anzu nodded and tried to climb the pile of boxes to reach the high windows at the top of the wall. But just as she's about to reach them, the boxes topple over and she falls, with a box landing on her head.

"Are you alright?" Cat asked.

"Could have been better." Anzu replied, taking the box off her head.

Just then, the door opened and another Rare Hunter tossed Mokuba into the warehouse room with the three other girls.

"Mokuba!" Kay cried and ran over to him.

"Kay-chan? What are you doing here?" Mokuba asked, sitting up.

"We could be asking the same question." Kay said as the two other girls joined them.

"I was grabbed just as I was trying to find you guys and Joey. I think we're being used as bait so the Rare Hunters can grab Yugi and Seto's rare cards. Both Yugi and my brother have God cards. The most powerful cards in Duel Monsters." Mokuba explained.

"I think there's more to it than Duel Monsters." Cat whispered to herself so the others couldn't hear.

"The Rare Hunters took my laptop, so I can't get in touch with my brother." Mokuba added in.

Anzu looked back up at the small window.

"Let's try the box idea again." She said.


	10. Rescue!

Joey, who was unconscious, was tied to a chair in another part of the warehouse.

Slowly, he came to when Odion entered the room. Joey glared angrily at Odion.

"Who do ya think you are kidnapping me like this?! I know you're using me to get Yug's rare card! But no matter what, Yugi won't submit to you freaks!" Joey snapped.

Odion didn't say anything.

Suddenly, Joey became silent and it wasn't long until a dazed look came over his face.

Marik had used the Millennium Rod through Odion to take over Joey's mind.

Kay, Cat, Mokuba and Anzu had stacked up the boxes again. They carefully climbed them, trying to escape.

"So far so good. I just hope these boxes are stable enough." Anzu said.

Just when they were about to reach the window, the door swung open, and two rare hunters ran in.

"Hey! I don't recall calling for room service!" Kay snapped at the two rare hunters that were starting to climb up the boxes after them.

Cat and Anzu cried out in terror.

"Mokuba! Get through the window! Hurry! Find your brother and Yugi!" Anzu cried.

Mokuba nodded urgently and quickly climbed through the window in just enough time before the boxes began to collapse. The girls screamed as the boxes fell from beneath them, causing them to tumble to the ground with the rare hunters.

"Don't worry guys! I promise I'll get help!" Mokuba cried through the window before running off.

Some rare hunters were sent out to capture Mokuba, but Mokuba had already escaped.

"I'm a little nervous about taking off my bandages." Shizuka said quietly. "What if the operation didn't work?"

Shizuka and Honda were riding the train back to Domino city.

"It'll be fine." Honda said with a smile. "How are you doing anyways?"

Shizuka smiled. "Besides being nervous, I'm very happy! I'm going to get to see my big brother duel!" She replied excited. "Thanks for your help too. For telling me about Joey's duels and taking me to Battle City. I'm lucky to have a friend as awesome as you are."

Honda's expression sunk a little. Not feeling too thrilled that he was stuck in the "friend zone" of her opinion.

Anzu, Cat and Kay struggled as hard as they could to try and escape from the rare hunter's grasps.

"I'm almost afraid to know, but where are you taking us?!" Kay snapped at the rare hunters.

One of the rare hunters grinned wickedly.

"You and the short brown haired girl will be perfect bait for Yugi." He said smugly.

The one who was holding onto Cat jerked on her arm.

"We have been ordered to take THIS girl directly to master Marik." He said.

Cat's eyes widened in fear.

Marik…

Anzu glared at them.

"What do you guys want with her anyways?!" She cried, remembering that the first day they all met her, a rare hunter was chasing her.

One of the rare hunters snorted.

"We don't know specifically. But apparently she might be a key to the Pharaoh's power."

Another rare hunter whacked the rare hunter that had just spoke.

"Shut up! They don't need to know that!" He snapped.

"A key to the Pharaoh's power?" Anzu repeated. "Cat! You have to fight back! As hard as you can! You can't let them take you to Marik!"

"B-But…I…I-I…" Cat stuttered, almost too scared to move.

Kay looked furious. "Darn it Cat! You need some self-defense skills!" She snapped before swinging her leg up and kicked the rare hunter that held onto Cat in the head before using the same leg to jab her foot into the knee of the rare hunter that was holding onto her.

Both of the rare hunters cried out in pain and let go of the two automatically.

Anzu attempted to do the same, but the rare hunter that held onto her was stronger than the other two.

Kay was just about to run over and help Anzu, but Anzu stopped her.

"No Kay! Don't worry about me! They can't do much! If what they say is true, then you have to get Cat out of here! Besides! You're a powerful duelist! You can help rescue everyone! Hurry!" Anzu cried.

"What? No, we can't leave you!" Kay said.

"Just go! It's better that they have one instead of all!" Anzu cried.

Kay paused for a moment and nodded before turning to Cat.

"C'mon Cat. We have to get out of here before those rare hunters recover!" She said.

"N-no! What about Anzu?!" Cat protested.

"Nevermind about me! Just GO!" Anzu yelled.

Kay quickly grabbed Cat's arm and started to drag her along, running as fast as she could when she noticed the rare hunters recovering.

"N-No! ANZU!" Cat cried.

"I'm still nervous about taking off the bandages…but I know I'm being foolish." Shizuka said, still riding the train with Honda. "I can't disappoint my brother."

"If I take you to see your brother duel, you'll take off the bandages, won't you?" Honda asked.

Shizuka nodded.

"Joey's a good brother to you." Honda said with a smile.

"He's the most important person to me." Shizuka said.

Honda's expression dropped again, feeling envious of Joey. He silently wished someone would say that about him.

JOEY, YOU ARE A VERY LUCKY GUY! Honda shouted in his head.

Anzu was unconscious for a while before slowly waking up. She found herself imprisoned in a chair with metal bonds, restraining her wrists and ankles. The first thing she saw after she had realized where she was, was Joey. He was standing in front of her with his head down.

Anzu smiled.

"Joey!" She cried happily. "Are you here to help me?"

Joey didn't respond.

Anzu's expression became worried. "Joey?" She asked.

She gasped when Joey finally raised his head, showing his eyes blank.

"I'm not Joey." He chuckled.

Odion came up from behind Joey.

"What did you do to him?!" Anzu cried.

Two rare hunters were running around the city, looking for their two hostages that had escaped.

Kay and Cat were in a nearby alley, hiding.

"Cat, seriously! Stop crying already!" Kay said sternly.

"But…they have Anzu…and they'll do who knows what to her." Cat choked through a sob. "And what about Joey? Whatever happened to him?"

Kay sighed.

"I don't know! But you need to calm down! It won't be long until those rare hunters find us again! I swear, it's like they can sniff us out like dogs!" She said, frustrated. "Now stop it! And tell me how you're a key to the "Pharaoh's power" or whatever they said."

Cat rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"I-I don't know. All I know is that they've been after me since I first came here not too long ago." She said, trying to hold back her crying. "But it was mainly because they spotted this." Cat took her silver cartouche in her hand. "Only when they saw this is when they started chasing me."

Kay examined the cartouche.

"It has to have something to do with the hieroglyphics. Whatever's written on here is apparently very important to them." She said.

"But I don't get what would be so important about it to them." Cat sniffled. "My grandmother gave me that cartouche before she died. It's been handed down from generation to generation in my family. It has my name on the front and a mysterious name on the back."

"Wait…if this was handed down through generations, how come it has your name on the front?" Kay asked.

Cat shook her head.

"We don't know. The first owner was my ancestor, Luna. And it was supposed to have her name on it. But somehow mine appeared on there. We know that because my grandma was able to read hieroglyphics. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't read the name on the back. It's almost as if no one was meant to read it. Like it didn't want anyone to." She replied.

Kay raised an eyebrow. "That's definitely weird." She said.

"THERE THEY ARE!"

Cat and Kay whipped their heads in the direction of the yell and spotted the two rare hunters dashing towards them both.

"Run for it!" Kay cried before the two girls made a mad dash in attempt to escape the rare hunters.

"Now we're both qualified for the finals." Kaiba said, taking the two locator cards from a rare hunter named Lumis. One locator card for Kaiba and one for Yami.

Yami and Kaiba had just finished a teamwork duel against two rare hunters named Lumis and Umbra.

"How can you possibly think about the tournament at a time like this?" Yami asked Kaiba, taking his locator card.

Marik had just finished talking to them through Lumis. He warned them that Yugi's friend were safe, but not on his side any longer.

Just then, Mokuba arrived in a Kaiba Corp. Helicopter. He hopped off and ran to Kaiba.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba cried. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. But we have to save Yugi's friends! Kay, Anzu and Cat helped me escape the rare hunters! But they got left behind." Mokuba explained.

Kaiba sighed and turned to Yami.

"You're lucky today. I'm always one to repay my debts. I'll help you save your little friends." Kaiba said. "Besides. Kay's in danger."

Honda and Shizuka had just finished a lunch Honda picked up for them at one of the stops.

"I'm still worried about my bandages." Shizuka admitted.

"You'll be fine." Honda said. "Everyone gets scared sometimes. You'll be fine once you find Joey. He'll give you the courage you need! Joey needs you too. You'll give him the courage to win the tournament!"

Shizuka smiled.

"Thanks Honda." She said.

Kaiba, Mokuba and Yami entered the Kaiba Corp. Helicopter.

It took off and Mokuba located Joey's Duel Disk signal.

"They're eleven miles away." Mokuba said, looking at his laptop.

Yami stared grimly out the window.

"I'm concerned with more important issues. Like finding the third Egyptian God card. And making sure Kay's okay. I don't feel comfortable with her being in Marik's clutches." Kaiba said before looking at Yami. "Tell me about Marik."

"I've never actually seen him, but I know Marik has a Millennium Item, like my Puzzle." Yami said.

"Cut the bogus magic talk Yugi." Kaiba said.

"But you've already experienced the power of the Millennium Items first hand." Yami pointed out. "When Pegasus used his Millennium eye to capture yours and Mokuba's soul."

"That was just a cheap trick." Kaiba mummered.

"But Seto! He did use his Millennium eye to trap us! That couldn't have possibly been a cheap trick." Mokuba protested.

But Kaiba stayed firm where he stood.

Yami was about to speak until they heard Mokuba gasp.

"What is it Mokuba?" Kaiba asked, looking at his brother.

"I've picked up Kay's duel disk! And she's not far from us!" Mokuba announced, looking at his laptop.

"What? Where?" Kaiba asked, leaning in closer to the laptop.

There was a pause.

"According to the computer, she should be within view!" Mokuba said and quickly looked out his window, searching for Kay.

"Ah! Seto! Tell the pilot to move closer to the ground! I see her! And Cat's with her!" Mokuba cried.

Kay and Cat were running as fast as their legs would carry them. The rare hunters were not too far behind.

"Cat! Stop rubbing your eyes! You've almost ran into a couple of poles!" Kay snapped.

"I can't help it! My eyes are stinging!" Cat cried.

"Well that's what you get for crying all the time!" Kay cried.

Helicopter noise and wind interrupted the two. Kay looked up and smiled happily when she spotted the Kaiba Corp. Helicopter over them.

A ladder quickly fell from the doorway and Mokuba poked his head out.

"Guys! Grab onto the ladder! Quickly!" He called.

"Cat! Stop rubbing your eyes for a moment and get on the ladder! Thank goodness, we're saved!" Kay cried.

Cat obeyed and grabbed onto the ladder, Kay following.

Once the two girls were on the ladder, the helicopter flew a bit higher from the ground. Safe from the rare hunters' reaches.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" Kaiba said sternly.

Kay frowned at him.

"If I recall correctly, I didn't exactly CHOOSE to be kidnapped!" She said.

Everyone was safely in the helicopter and well on their way to save their friends.

Mokuba smiled.

Kay and Kaiba often had small arguments like that. He was happy to see that nothing weird had happened to Kay and Cat.

Cat was still rubbing her eyes. They were close to stop stinging. She didn't have the wind in her face like when she was running.

"Cat, are you alright?" Yami asked.

"I'm fine…I just feel so bad for leaving them behind!" Cat replied, finally able to remove her hands from her eyes.

Cat and Kay had already explained what had happened.

"It wasn't your fault, Cat." Yami reassured her. "Marik's indeed a powerful enemy."

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "Oh please Yugi! All this talk of Marik being powerful and those Millennium Items are all just tricks! Stop fooling yourself!" He said, getting annoyed.

Yami frowned at him.

"My Puzzle is no trick, Kaiba." He said. "I'm actually a three-thousand year old spirit, living inside the Millennium Puzzle."

Kaiba looked shocked for a moment, along with Kay and Mokuba. Cat was unaffected. She already knew this.

"You're lying!" Kaiba insisted.

"I was once a Pharaoh in Egypt. I am Yugi, but I'm not Yugi. I was awakened when Yugi solved the Millennium Puzzle." Yami said.

Kaiba briefly remembered a meeting he had with Ishizu.

Ishizu was the one who told Yami that he was a Pharaoh and about his destiny.

She was Marik's sister. She had long black hair and green eyes. Her skin was tan and she wore Egyptian clothing and jewelry. Her job was being a tombkeeper for the Pharaoh and was the owner of the Millennium Necklace, enabling her to see the future.

Ishizu was young. She looked like she was in her early twenties.

"But…it can't be true!" Kaiba said to himself, remembering the stone carvings that Ishizu showed him.

He almost remembered her telling him about how the Duel Monsters were once real and that the Pharaoh had saved the world from destruction by sealing them away in stone tablets. But evil sorcerers found ways to release the monsters from the stones, and used them to wage war against the Pharaoh.

And finally he remembered the second stone she showed him.

The one with him and Yugi on it.

Kay looked at Cat, who didn't look surprised at all.

"Cat…did you know about this?" She asked.

Cat nodded.

"He told me a little after we had met." She said.

Suddenly, Kaiba laughed.

"You talked to that crazy woman too, didn't you? I didn't buy into her story." He said to Yami.

"What Ishizu said was true! She told me that the events of the past would occur once again, and I know who I must stop!" Yami insisted.

Mokuba and Kay listened to Yami, interested, as he told them about his earlier duels with the rare hunters and his encounters with Marik.

Kaiba huffed. "That's ridiculous." He said. "Stop corrupting my little brother's mind with your lies!"

"They're not lies! You heard Marik talk about his plans to rule the world first hand!" Yami growled.

"If you believe Marik was using magic powers to control people's minds, then you must believe in the Tooth Fairy as well!" Kaiba said.

"Marik's powers are very real and very dangerous. So are his threats against my friends!" Yami said and clenched his fists. "We have to find my friends and get them away from that madman before it's too late!"

"We're two miles away from our destination." Mokuba said.

"Good…we'll be able to find Joey and Anzu." Cat said.

"I'm tired of hearing about Yugi's friends! Especially that hack, Joey!" Kaiba sneered.

"Joey's become a skilled duelist. I wouldn't be surprised of Joey had already qualified for the finals." Yami said.

Kay looked at Mokuba's laptop and then looked out the window. "It looks like they're at the pier." She said.

Kaiba ordered the pilot to descend.


	11. A Dangerous Duel

Joey and Anzu walked along the docks.

Both were under Marik's control.

"Soon, Yugi and Kaiba will arrive to try and rescue you two." Marik told the two. He paused a moment to smirk. "But with you two under my control, they'll have no choice but to play by my rules."

Odion approached Marik.

"I've secured twelve locator cards for the Battle City finals, as ordered." He said.

"Now we'll both be able to participate in the finals, if necessary." Marik said to Odion. "But if all goes well, it won't be. Give Jounouchi the deck we've prepared for him."

"Replacing Jounouchi's old pathetic deck with a deck full of extremely rare magic cards, was an excellent idea, Master Marik." Odion said.

Marik laughed.

"I've taken the things that mean the most to Yugi! His friends. And it won't be long until I gather the "other thing" that means most of Yugi." He said evilly. "You hear that Yugi?! Come and find me for the last duel you'll ever fight!"

"As soon as we land, Mokuba, Cat and Kay will lead me to where my friends are being held. Then we'll break in and get them out." Yami said.

"Not so fast! I'm in charge! And the first thing I want to track down is the third God card! After that, we'll find your friends." Kaiba said.

"Joey and Anzu are in great danger! We have to rescue them right away!" Kay snapped. "Don't you realize that people's lives may be on the line?!"

"Fine. Once we land, we can split up and fend for ourselves. I work better on my own anyways. Haven't you guys figured out that teamwork isn't my thing?" Kaiba said. "I was the one who defeated Lumis and Umbra without much help. I brought you guys to the place where your friends are being held. Now you guys can take care of the rest by yourselves."

Kay crossed her arms over her chest angrily. "Kaiba, just get over yourself for once and try to consider other people before yourself." She growled.

Yami turned back to the window.

"Fine then. I'll save my friends without your help, Kaiba." He said.

Mokuba looked out the window.

"Hey look! Isn't that Joey?" He asked. "He's just standing there on the pier."

"Careful. We might be getting into a trap." Yami said cautiously.

"I've heard enough from you." Kaiba said.

Quickly, the helicopter landed on the pier as Marik laughed.

"When Yugi finds out I turned his best friend against him, he'll be completely devastated." He laughed.

Everyone piled out of the helicopter.

"Joey!" Yami called.

"Joey isn't here." Mind controlled Joey said.

Cat gasped. "It's Marik!"

"That certainly doesn't sound like Jounouchi." Mokuba said.

Kaiba huffed.

"It has to be one of Marik's tricks." He said.

"Kaiba…can't you stop be skeptical for once?" Kay murmured.

"Joey! Snap out of it!" Yami cried. "I know you're in there!"

"It's pointless, Yugi! I'll release your friends once I have what I want. Your God Card, Your Puzzle and that brown haired girl next to you!" Marik said through Joey. "You must duel me."

"I don't understand what's going on." Mokuba said.

"It seems like Marik has turned Joey against Yugi, and now Joey wants to duel Yugi." Kaiba explained. "If Joey's on Marik's side now, he might be holding the third God card. And if the God card is played I want to be there."

"It's time to seize the power that should have been mine all along!" Marik cried through Joey.

"Joey! You have to wake up! Remember the promise you made me when you gave me your Red-Eyes?" Yami cried. "I promise I'll set you free! Marik's power is feeble compared to the strength of our friendship!"

Marik turned Joey around.

"I'll never set him free unless you follow me." He said.

Yami frowned, knowing that if he did follow him, he may be walking into a trap. But who would save Joey and Anzu if he didn't?

Mind controlled Anzu walked down the gangway steps from a nearby ocean liner.

"You'd better do exactly what Marik says." She said.

"Marik! Leave Anzu out of this!" Yami snapped.

Marik laughed through Anzu.

"You are at my mercy."

Yami followed the mind controlled Anzu to where Joey was waiting.

The dock was a square with a square opening in the middle of the square dock, which led to the ocean.

In the middle of the opening, suspended metal beams that supported an anchor, hanging over the square of water.

Joey stood on one side, and Yami stood across from him.

"This is how the duel will work." The mind controlled Anzu said. "Both duelists must cuff themselves by the ankle to a chain attached to the anchor. When a player's life points reach zeros, thirty seconds later, the anchor will drop to the bottom of the ocean."

"The boxes at our feet contain the keys to our ankle cuffs." Mind controlled Joey continued to explain. "When one player's life points reach zero, the other player's box will open, and he will have thirty seconds to free himself, while the loser will be dragged down with the anchor to the bottom of the sea."

"Marik! Will you free my friends if I win?" Yami asked.

"Yes. But you'll have to fish Joey out of the sea first." Marik said.

Anzu moved to a chair and sat down as restraints trapped her by the wrists and ankles.

"I wouldn't consider refusing to duel. There's a timer set to blow the anchor after sixty minutes. If there's no winner, you'll both be dragged into the sea. You will lose Yugi." Marik said through Anzu before turning to Kaiba. "Once I've taken care of Yugi and his friends, I'm setting my sights on your God card Kaiba."

Kaiba looked horrified at what Marik was doing. He was intending to kill Yugi!

Cat placed a hand over her mouth in horror. "That's so sick!" She cried. "He's planning to kill one or the other! Possibly both!"

"I've heard enough!" Kay cried and turned to Kaiba. "This duel is getting way out of hand! You've got to put a stop to this before someone gets hurt, Kaiba! Besides! Marik might try something like this one us next!"

Kaiba frowned. "You're right. As the head of the Battle City Tournament, I demand that this duel stops!" He said loudly.

"The duel will continue as planned." Marik said through Anzu as a crane moved a crate into place over her head. "This is the final piece of the plan. If Kaiba or anyone else attempts to interfere, the crate will fall onto Anzu's head."

The Rare Hunter controlling the crane pulled out a remote control. "One false move and I'll push the button which will detonate the bomb, causing the crate to fall." He said.

"Everything's into place to start the duel. Let this woman watch as well." Marik said through Anzu before releasing Anzu from his control. Anzu's head dropped for a moment before she raised it up again.

"Where am I?" She asked herself before she realized she was trapped in a chair. "What's going on?"

"There's one last matter to be taken care of." Joey said. "Your God card is off limits. Remove the card from your deck."

Yami agrees, taking off the belt that held his special cards, thinking to himself that it was too dangerous to use Slifer anyways.

Yami pulled out Joey's Red Eyes Black Dragon that was with Slifer and added it to his deck before tossing his belt aside.

Marik laughed.

"Soon, I'll possess Slifer, Yugi's Puzzle and that girl! My plan won't fail!"

Everyone watched as the duel began.

"You grew up here, right? It's been a long time since you've been back, huh?" Honda said as him and Shizuka finally arrived in Domino.

"Yes." Shizuka said. "I remember hanging out here with Joey when we were little."

"It's time to find Joey! If only I knew where he was, though." Honda said and thought for a moment. "Wait here a moment, Shizuka, I'll go cal Anzu."

He made his way to a nearby telephone booth and called Anzu's cell phone number.

But her cell phone remained crushed where they were captured.

Honda hung up.

"Huh. I wonder why she's not picking up?" He wondered to himself before returning to Shizuka. Both of them not knowing that a few Rare Hunters were watching.

"That's against the rules to use direct damage magic cards!" Kaiba protested.

The duel had progressed and wasn't looking good.

Marik laughed, still on his boat.

"Joey's deck contains fake cards created by my Rare Hunters! A player with normal cards can never win against it! Yugi is already starting to panic after getting a taste of his powerful deck!" He said.

Odion approached Marik.

"I've just learned that Jounouchi's sister has arrived in Battle City." He said.

"His sister? She might be a useful pawn. Bring her to me immediately!" Marik ordered.

Cat cringed as she continued to watch the duel. Kay looked over at her.

"Don't worry. We'll find a way to help them all." She said.

"I know. But…I can hardly watch this! I'm afraid to." Cat said clutching her fists. "I feel so helpless. So…useless. I want to do something!"

"I do too, but unless we want Anzu to turn into a pancake, then we can't do anything." Kay reminded her.

Cat sighed and looked at the ground for a moment. Her face twisted in fear, anger, and helplessness.

Honda and Shizuka continued down the streets of Domino.

"I'm sorry for not agreeing on a meeting place with Joey and the others before I left to pick you up." Honda said.

"It's okay." Shizuka said. "I'm sure we'll find everyone. They have to be here somewhere!"

Before either of the two knew what happened, they were surrounded by three of the Rare Hunters!

"What the?! Where did you freaks come from?!" Honda cried.

"Honda, what's going on?" Shizuka asked, a little frightened.

"Sorry, but you're coming with us." One of the Rare Hunters said.

"Back off!" Honda warned them.

The Rare Hunters ignored his warning.

"Shizuka, get onto my back!" Honda said. Shizuka obeyed and Honda ran off with her down an alley, the Rare Hunters following.

"I still don't get this! What's going on?" Anzu asked, still confused.

"Marik brainwashed Joey and forced him into a duel in order to get his hands on Yugi's God card." Mokuba explained to her.

"Marik? He must be the one Ishizu warned us about!" Anzu realized. "Everything makes sense now!"

"Hey! Stop with the fussing!" The Rare Hunter in the crane snapped at her.

Anzu looked up and noticed the crate over her head.

"You don't have the guts to drop it!" She snapped at the Rare Hunter. "Kaiba! Stop the duel, now! Or the whole world may be in danger! Don't worry about me!"

"We can't! It's too risky." Kay said.

Kaiba ground his teeth in frustration.

"Yugi, you'd better not lose to someone like this." He mumbled.

The duel continued on hopelessly.

"Joey! Snap out of it! We're your friends!" Anzu shouted at Joey.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit.

"She's right. And I have an idea. Pharaoh, I think you should let me duel." He said.

"Why?" Yami asked.

"Me and Joey have always shared a really strong bond and I think that bond might be able to break through to him how. We've been through so much together." Yugi explained. "Remember when Joey and Honda risked their lives to save us from the fire? Well now it's my turn."

"This is a very dangerous match." Yami reminded him.

"I know. But I can't let that stop me. I feel in my heart that if anyone in the world can get through to Joey, I can." Yugi said. "Joey is my best friend, and I know Joey would do the same thing for me."

"Alright, Yugi. I'll be right here if you need me." Yami said.

The two traded places and Yugi was now in control.

Marik became angry.

"I want to defeat the ancient Pharaoh! Not this little runt!" He yelled. Marik stopped for a moment and pondered on it.

This might just what he needs! I can win against this duel easily now that I'm up against little Yugi, instead of the Pharaoh. It doesn't matter who I defeat! I'll still get the same prizes! He thought to himself.

"What is Yugi doing?" Cat wondered silently to herself. "I don't think I've ever seen Yugi duel before…only the Pharaoh. I hope Yugi can do this."

Honda continued to run from the Rare Hunters with Shizuka on his back.

They ran down an enclosed alley, but one of the Rare Hunters had gone around and cut them off. They were trapped!

"I suggest you come quietly." One of the Rare Hunters said.

"Don't count on it!" Honda said, setting Shizuka down, ready to face them.

Honda fought them off for a while until one of them grabbed Shizuka, causing her to scream. Honda was about to go to her rescue until one of the Rare Hunters he was fighting punched him, knocking Honda to the ground. The situation seemed hopeless.

Suddenly, a die came flying through the air and hit the Rare Hunter that was holding onto Shizuka on the forehead.

He let go of Shizuka and held his head in pain.

"And there's more where that came from, Tough Guy." A voice from the end of the alley said.

Everyone turned to look to see…Duke Devlin!

He was tossing a handful of dice in his hand as Honda struggled to his feet.

Duke threw more dice at the Rare Hunters. While he was doing that, Honda grabbed Shizuka.

"Duke! We'll talk later! Run now!" He cried as they all started to run, the Rare Hunters following them.

It wasn't long until they were finally able to hide from the Rare Hunters.

The Rare Hunters had split up to look for them.

"Duke, what are you doing here?" Honda asked.

"I heard about this Battle City thing and wanted to check it out. I was hoping to run into Yugi, but you guys will do." Duke said before leaning in and whispering so Shizuka couldn't hear. "Who's this girl?"

"She's off limits." Honda said. "She's Jounouchi Katsuya's sister."

"Oh, the Joey I made wear a dog suit!" Duke remembered.

"Don't mention that, or you'll upset Shizuka!" Honda said.

"What's up with the guys chasing us?" Duke asked.

"I have no idea. But I don't like the look of them." Honda answered. "If I remember right, they're Rare Hunters. But I don't know why they're chasing us."

"If these guys are chasing us, doesn't that mean they're after the others too?" Shizuka asked. "Everyone might be in danger!"

The duel was beginning to look even more hopeless. Yugi had given Joey his Millennium Puzzle. He wasn't going to allow Yami to interfere and he was hoping that it would wake Joey up.

Marik had almost lost his control over Joey a few times, but always gained it back.

By this time, Mai had found and picked up Honda, Duke and Shizuka and they had reached the pier.

Mokuba had to stop them and explain what was going on.

Shizuka was about to take her bandages off but Anzu called out to her to stop. She couldn't let Shizuka see her brother like this.

"Trust your brother." Mai said to Shizuka.

"Guys! Stop the duel now! Forget about me! Just save Yugi and Joey!" Anzu cried out to Kaiba and everyone else.

The Rare Hunter hopped out of the crane and held up the remote control as a threat.

"Seto, don't let Anzu get hurt! She helped save my life!" Mokuba said.

"There might be a way." Kaiba mummered and then spoke into his lapel radio.

After that, the duel continued on until there was only 30 seconds left in the duel.

Everyone was worrying that it might be too late, but suddenly, a Kaiba Corp. helicopter rose over the pier.

"Who's flying that machine?" Honda asked.

"It's remote controlled." Mokuba said.

The helicopter flew towards the crate that was hanging over Anzu as Kaiba reached for his deck.

He drew a card and flung it towards the Rare Hunter.

The card stuck into his hand, causing the Rare Hunter to drop the remote. The Rare Hunter was about to dive for it, but Kaiba pushed him aside and Cat quickly kicked the remote into the sea.

The helicopter snagged the cable holding the crate over Anzu and pulled it away from her, causing it to fall into the sea.

Everyone rushed over to Anzu, freeing her from the chair while Kaiba retrieved his card from the Rare Hunter's hand.

He looked at the card and noticed it was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"I'm such a good drawer." He mummered to himself.

The duel ended in a draw. Yugi had fallen to the ground and Joey had broken free from Marik's control. They only had 30 seconds.

Shizuka finally took her bandages off and threw them into the sky.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was Joey taking off his duel disk and Yugi's Puzzle before using the chain of his shackle to leap across the dock to Yugi.

The countdown reached zero and the anchor fell just as Joey managed to grab Yugi's key. The anchor drug them both into the sea.

"Joey!" Honda cried as he ran to them.

Everyone gathered on the side of the dock.

Underwater, Joey swam over to Yugi and unlocked his shackle. He watched him float to the surface while thinking to himself, "Yug…you're the best friend I ever had…thank you."

Yugi broke to the surface and Honda dove in, bringing Yugi to the dock.

Cat and Anzu pulled Yugi out of the water.

"Joey never took his key!" Kay said.

"Go get it!" Honda cried.

Kay ran to the other side of the dock, but it was gone!

Shizuka had already grabbed it and was diving into the ocean.

"What is she doing?!" Kay cried.

Joey attempted, with his last breath, to unlock his shackle with Yugi's key, but it didn't work.

Before Joey's lungs gave out, he spotted a shadowy figure swimming towards him and wondered if it was Yugi.

Shizuka finally reached Joey and unlocked his shackle before the two of them returned to the surface.

Joey looked shocked when he realized it was Shizuka.

"How did you get here?" He asked.

"Honda and Mai brought me." Shizuka replied with a smile.

Joey smiled and looked back at the dock.

"Yugi!" He greeted happily.

"How cute. The geeks are back together again." Kaiba mummered. "Joey could take off his Duel Disk but couldn't take the key for himself. He's stupid enough to be admirable. A common duelist would never do it."

Finally everyone was safe on the docks.

"Yug, I'm sorry about that." Joey apologized.

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault. In the end, you not only saved our friendship, but you also saved me." Yugi said.

"I had no choice! Once I realized what I was doing, I had to save you! Or die trying." Joey said.

"It's okay." Yugi laughed.

"Marik made a total fool outta me! How can I show my face at the finals now?" Joey cried.

Mai frowned and walked up to Joey, slapping him.

"Get a hold of yourself Joey!" She snapped.

Joey stared at her with his hand on his cheek. Shocked.

"You showed real courage. Just like you did at Duelist Kingdom when you dueled for your sister. You're Shizuka's idol." Mai said.

"What kind of idol gets turned into a zombie and almost destroys his best friend?" Joey asked.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself." Kay piped in. "Shizuka gets her strength from her brother. That's why she waited until now to take her bandages off."

"Oh yeah! Shizuka, you can see now!" Joey said, amazed.

Shizuka nodded.

"The first thing I saw was you saving Yugi. You showed me what real courage is. I made it through my operation because of you." She said before she hugged her brother. Joey smiled and returned the hug while everyone watched happily.

Everyone looked out over the ocean as Joey returned the Millennium Puzzle to Yugi.

"Thanks again for everything, Yug. I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have friends like these!" He said.

Yugi looked down at the Puzzle.

"Thank you Pharaoh, for trusting me enough to let me handle this on my own. We make a good team, but it's nice to know I have the strength to stand on my own." He said. "And you helped me find strength."

Off to the side, Kaiba and Mokuba stood together and Kay joined them.

"Are you coming with us, Kay?" Mokuba asked.

Kay nodded.

"Let's go." Kaiba said simply and turned to walk away with the other two.

Yugi looked at the three.

"KAIBA! MOKUBA! KAY! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!" He called after them.

"I did what I had to do." Kaiba said. "I'll see you all at the Battle City finals."

"That's right! With all this excitement, I forgot about the finals!" Yugi exclaimed. "That may be where Marik comes after us next."

"Whenever Marik comes back, I'll be ready for him." Yami said in spirit.

"Kaiba, I'm actually sort of amazed of how you helped them today." Kay said.

They had already reached the Kaiba Corp. Stadium.

"I was just doing my job." Kaiba said simply.

Kay grinned.

"Ah, but I think it's deeper than that." She said.

Kaiba frowned.

"Think what you want." He said.

Kay giggled.

"Are you prepared for the finals?" Kaiba asked.

"Of course I am!" Kay replied.

"Oh? Is that so?" Kaiba said. "Well then. In the finals…" He was hesitant with his words, a look of embarrassment on his face. "Just be really careful, alright?"

Kay blinked in confusion and tilted her head.

"Why?" She asked.

Kaiba turned to face her, looking a little annoyed.

"Why?! What do you mean WHY?! You saw what happened earlier today! I don't want that Marik putting you in any danger! Got it?" He snapped.

Kay paused for a moment and then grinned again.

"Oh I get it. You're worried about me, huh?" She said.

Kaiba blushed lightly.

"N-NO! I'm not! I-I just don't want to have to call any medical teams if you get hurt! Th-that's all!" He said quickly.

"Suurrreee…" Kay said.

Kaiba frowned and quickly turned, marching off into another room, leaving Kay giggling.


	12. Battle City Finals Begin!

"Hey! Why are we parking so far away?" Joey asked as everyone got out of Mai's car.

They had parked a couple of blocks away from the Kaiba Corp. Stadium.

"So we won't get stuck in traffic after the tournament. Besides, we can't really drive any further." Mai said.

"Heh, looks like you've got another crack at the championship, Mai." Joey added in.

"Yes. And I'm going to crush you and Yugi this time." Mai agreed with a smile.

"Do they always talk like this?" Cat asked Yugi.

Yugi laughed a little.

"Yeah. Joey and Mai have a close bond." He replied.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba awaited everyone's arrival in the stadium.

"You two. Turn on the stadium lights." Kaiba ordered two of his men. "I thought I heard something. No one is to enter the stadium without first reporting to me!"

Eight people suddenly arrived at the stadium entrance.

Yugi, Joey, Cat, Mai, Shizuka, Duke, Honda and Anzu.

"This place is still under construction." Duke pointed out.

"It seems like we're unfashionably early." Mai said.

"Welcome. Please present your locator cards." One of Kaiba's men said.

Yugi, Cat, Joey and Mai did so.

Kaiba's second man walked up and handed the four cards.

"These are your tournament IDs. Make sure you keep these cards with you at all times." The man said. "The other three finalists will be arriving shortly."

Kaiba continued to wait.

Not that it matters. They'll all lose soon enough, Kaiba thought to himself.

Another person walked into the stadium.

Yugi frowned, thinking to himself that he was having a bad feeling about it. He briefly wondered if it could be Marik.

It was indeed Marik, but that was unknown to the others, for they knew him as "Namu".

"Hey! It's Namu!" Joey said cheerfully. "He's the one who helped rescue Bakura!"

Joey, Cat and Anzu ran over to greet him.

"Hello everyone." Marik said with a smile. "How is Bakura doing?"

Joey told himself that he didn't trust Namu. Him, Cat and Anzu were the only ones captured by the Rare Hunters while he was safe.

"I've had nothing but good luck since I met you three. I'm winning every duel!" Marik said innocently.

Suddenly Cat got a sudden flash in her mind. It was Marik's mind control.

"Yugi. This is Namu. Not only did he save Bakura's life, he's also one of the finalists." Cat introduced Namu to Yugi while briefly under Marik's control. "Isn't that right, Joey?"

"Hm?" Joey asked. He was apparently distracted by something. "What did you say?"

"I've heard about you, Yugi." Marik said, turning to Yugi.

"Any friend of Joey, Cat and Anzu's is a friend of mine." Yugi said with a smile.

Joey watched the two pondering the fact that maybe Namu wasn't so bad after all.

"Guys, look! Isn't that Bakura?" Anzu asked, stopping the conversations.

Indeed, Bakura had just walked into the stadium.

Bakura still wore his bandage, which was blood stained.

"Bakura? What are you doing here? Are you sure you're well enough to be here?" Cat asked.

"I'm fine." Bakura said. "I've won all the necessary locator cards and I'm a finalist now."

Everyone was shocked by this.

Marik smirked. He was happy that Bakura was holding up his end of the bargain. Him and Bakura had made a bargain to work together.

Yugi was still shocked. According to his friends, Bakura could bearly walk when they left him! How did he win all the locator cards?

Bakura distracted everyone's shock by pointing out that the final finalist was coming.

Everyone turned to the stadium doorway to find Odion!

"H-Hey! It's him!" Mokuba cried.

"That's right!" Joey agreed. "He was one of the guys that captured us!"

"My name is Marik." Odion said.

Joey quickly confronted him.

"I'm gonna kick your brainwashing keister!" He snapped.

"I should disqualify you, Marik, for what you did to my little brother. But I want your God card." Kaiba said to Odion.

Never the less, the announcements started.

"This will not be the site of the Battle City finals. The actual tournament arena will be arriving any moment." One of Kaiba's men announced.

Just as the man finished, a large blimp that belonged to Kaiba Corp., flew over the stadium.

It was called, "Kaiba Craft 3".

The airship landed.

"Everyone get on board!" Mokuba told everyone.

Odion and Marik were the first to board. Followed by Mai, Yugi, Cat, Bakura, Kay, and Joey.

But when the rest tried to board, one of Kaiba's men stopped them.

"No one is allowed on board without a tournament ID." The man said to the four.

"But I've been looking forward to seeing my brother duel!" Shizuka explained.

The other three joined in.

"Yeah, c'mon! Give us a break!" Honda said.

Mokuba stepped up.

"Give it a rest." He said to the man. "I don't have a tournament ID, and I'm going."

Kay joined in with Mokuba.

"Yeah, just let them through already. They're the other contestant's friends. And ours." She said.

"But they're Mr. Kaiba's rules." The man protested.

"Seto?" Mokuba asked, turning to Kaiba.

Kaiba shrugged.

"Whatever." He said.

Honda, Shizuka, Duke and Anzu smiled as they boarded.

"Just let the dweebs go." Kaiba said to his employee before returning up the steps and turning to his other employees. "Begin take-off immediately."

"B-but sir! What about your guest? They haven't arrived yet." One of the men protested.

"I don't care." Kaiba said before moving on with Mokuba and Kay.

Just after that, a woman walked into the stadium wearing a veil. It was Ishizu.

"I'm here to save my brother." She said to herself before boarding the ship.

The airship finally took off and everyone gathered in the observation lounge to watch the city below through the windows.

"Joey, thanks for bringing me." Shizuka said.

Joey laughed.

"It's just one of the many perks of being related to a champion." He said.

Just as he said that, Kaiba and Kay were passing by.

"You're only here by a fluke. Don't get your hopes up too high. It's a long way down, and monkey's can't fly." Kaiba said.

Kay started to laugh at his comment as the two continued to walk on.

Joey got really angry and Kaiba's comment.

"HEY! Get back here rich boy and say that to my FACE!" He yelled at Kaiba.

"Yugi. I know you haven't played your God card yet, but you'd better have it in your deck during the finals, because I intend to win it!" Kaiba said to Yugi. "When this tournament is over, I'll be the world's greatest duelist, and the owner of all three Egyptian God cards."

Yami stood by Yugi in spirit, glaring at Kaiba as he spoke to them.

Kaiba then turned and walked away.

"I have a tournament to run." He said.

Kay stayed where she was for a moment, frowning at Kaiba.

"It wouldn't hurt you to be nice for once, would it Egoman?!" She said to Kaiba sternly before following him.

"So…you really did win Slifer back."

Yugi turned around to find Cat.

"Yeah." Yugi said with a smile.

Cat returned the smile.

"That's great. I'm happy you did. I still feel kinda bad that I lost it. Then you wouldn't have gone through all that trouble to get it back." She said.

Yugi laughed.

"Don't worry. It's okay. Just forget about that incident."

Everyone went to their rooms, which were accessed by their ID cards.

Joey took Shizuka to his room.

She rushed in, excitedly and looked out one of the porthole windows.

"Wow! The view is so beautiful!" She exclaimed before turning back to Joey. "Thank you for bringing me here. And for the operation that made it possible for me to see it. It's like a dream."

"No, thank you." Joey said.

"I should be the one thanking you. You're the greatest brother, and my best friend." Shizuka said.

Joey suddenly got teary eyed, touched by his sister's words.

"S-sorry, it must be my allergies." He said. "I couldn't have gotten here without your help. And I'm gonna do my best and not let anything distract me!"

Suddenly, Honda, Anzu and Duke burst into Joey's room.

"What the?!" Joey cried.

"We need somewhere to crash while Kaiba's people try to find some rooms for us." Honda explained before him and Duke started to raid the refrigerator.

Anzu started to look over the room service menu.

Joey got angry.

"Hey! All of ya! Get out of my room!" He snapped.

"Joey, be a good sport." Shizuka said.

"I don't know how I'm gonna focus on my duels with all this going on!" Joey exclaimed.

Honda grinned as he suddenly decided that he would ask Shizuka to check out the romantic view with him. But before he could make a move, Duke beat him.

Honda wept with disappointment while Joey collapsed into a chair in disgust.

Honda then tossed Joey a soda.

"Sorry for crashing your private time with your sister." He said.

"Go bother Yugi." Joey mummered.

"We wanted to make sure Yugi had some peace and quite before the finals." Honda explained.

"Hey! I'm dueling too ya know!" Joey reminded him before sighing hopelessly. "Thanks for taking care of Shizuka, by the way."

"It's no problem." Honda said with a grin.

Cat flopped onto her bed, facedown and heaved a large sigh.

She had the room to herself and for that, she was grateful. There were times that Cat just wanted to be alone and have some time to herself. When she stayed with Yugi and his Grandpa, she felt like she didn't get much alone time. Not that she was complaining. She enjoyed staying with the two.

After a moment longer, Cat sat up and pulled out her deck, going through it until she found the Dark Magician Girl.

She frowned at the card and set the rest of her deck aside.

"I still don't understand why you brought me here." Cat said to the card. "I know you didn't tell me that I would discover the reason why I'm here immediately. But it would be nice to know sooner."

She stared at the card a moment longer before sighing again.

"Look at me. I'm talking to a card. You aren't going to answer me." She said before putting the card back into her deck and putting it away. She let herself fall backwards on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "What's this "destiny" you were going on about anyways? The Pharaoh doesn't need me. I've only a useless extra. Plus I'm probably a threat to the world. Considering that Marik thinks I have something he wants."

Cat reached over on the bed and grabbed her bag, digging through it.

"And you know what?" She said to herself. "It almost seems like I'm not going to never discover the reason why I'm here. Thus I may never get home. I mean…I love my new friends and all…but…I guess since nothings distracting me and can finally admit…I'm homesick. I…want to go home."

After digging through her bag for a moment, Cat finally drug out an mp3 player and turned it on, putting on her headphones.

"At least…let me know why I'm here soon." She whispered.

Cat slowly closed her eyes and sung quietly along with the music.

My ears are telling my burning chest

That they can hear a familiar sound

This face that said I can't show anyone,

I wonder if you knew it was right before you

The homeland you grew up in can be seen from this hill

And now, my tears are getting a little in way way, though I can't see it

The stars in the sky are close to everything

Please stop time for just a bit

As long as you're here, I don't need anything else

If that kind of wish can be granted…

"It's almost time." Kaiba said to himself as he sat in his room.

Outside of Kaiba's door, his employees were about to knock on his door until Mokuba stopped them.

"We need to tell Mr. Kaiba about the arrival of his guest." One of the men said.

"We'll tell him later. Seto is preparing for his duels." Mokuba said, warning them off.

Inside the room, Kaiba was going through his deck while Kay sat on the bed on the other side of the room, reading a book.

She would occasionally glance over the book at Kaiba.

"The moment I've been waiting for is about to arrive. With Obelisk, I'll beat both Yugi and Marik. And once I have all three God cards, I'll be unbeatable!" Kaiba said to himself with a smirk.

Kay rolled her eyes and looked back at her book, wondering if he often talked to himself out loud like that.

Mai sat in her room and sipped a bit of her wine.

"I might have missed out on Duelist Kingdom, but this time, I'll be victorious." She said to herself.

Odion sat on the floor in his room on his knees.

"I promise I will not fail my Master." He said to himself.

Marik sat in his room, looking out the window.

"I've manipulated so many people, I can't lose!" He said to himself. "I still control Cat's mind, and I've fooled the spirit of the Millennium Ring into dueling for me. Soon the power of the Pharaoh will be mine!"

Yugi sat in his room, looking at his own God card, Slifer.

"If I really want to stop Marik, I'll have to do as Kaiba says and put Slifer in my deck." He said. "And no matter what, I must believe in my deck and myself."

Yami appeared next to him in spirit.

"You've made the correct decision." He said. "We're going to need that card. The Battle City finals will be an epic clash between the three Egyptian God cards."

"I'm also a little worried about Bakura." Yugi said. "I wonder if the person with us is really Bakura. I remember we dueled with the spirit of the Millennium Ring at Duelist Kingdom. But Honda got rid of the Ring. So how could the spirit be back?"

"You can't predict the path of a Millennium Item. The Ring must have found its way back to Bakura." Yami said. "Now winning will be harder than ever. But we have to win. The fate of the world depends on it."

Ishizu sat in her dark room, looking out a window.

"Everything is now in place, and it's up to fate." She said to herself. "Besides…I've told the Pharaoh of his destiny. And now…I believe it is "her" turn."

One of Kaiba's employees made an announcement.

"The Battle City finals are about to begin. All duelists, please meet in the main hall!"

Joey was just about to leave his room until he almost ran into Kaiba.

"Winners first, monkey boy." Kaiba said to Joey before moving on, Kay and Mokuba following him.

Joey growled.

"HEY! You wanna PIECE OF ME?! Get back here Kaiba!" He shouted after Kaiba. But Kaiba ignored him.

Marik had just got out of his room and looked at Joey.

"May the best duelist win." He said kindly.

"I will." Joey grumbled.

Cat rushed out of her room. She almost didn't hear the announcement because she was listening to her music.

Yugi put on his duel disk and switched with Yami. It was time.

"The blimp is a nice touch, huh Yugi?" Mai said to Yami. "Kaiba spared no expense, but I'm ready to stop schmoozing and start dueling!"

"Good luck in the finals Mai." Yami said.

While everyone was waiting, Joey was busy loading up his place with food.

"Kaiba's gonna be sorry he made it an all-you-can-eat, by the time I'm through!" He snickered to himself. He paused as he passed Odion. He gave him a fierce look and accidentally ran into Bakura.

"Oops! Sorry Bakura." Joey said with a grin. "By the way, how did you manage to qualify for the finals so quickly?"

"I dueled Bonz and his gang in the cemetery, making them give up all their locator cards when I won." Bakura answered.

Joey looked slightly freaked out as he backed away warily. Bakura was acting pretty casual about the cemetery duel.

"Good luck in the finals, Joey." Bakura said with a smile, obliviously.

Joey silently hoped he wouldn't have to duel Bakura.

Joey then joined Anzu, Honda, Cat and Shizuka at one of the food tables.

"Hey Cat, why aren't you eating?" Joey asked.

Cat smiled weakly. "I'm feeling a little too anxious to eat." She explained.

"Oh." Joey said simply and looked at Kaiba who was passing by. "Hey Kaiba! When are we going to find out who we're going to duel?"

"You're in quite a rush to lose, Katsuya." Kaiba said before he used his lapel radio to order the proceedings to begin.

Not too much later, all the finalists arrived in the room.

Kaiba snapped his fingers and the lights went down as a large high-tech bingo machine, which looked like a Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, rose from a dais at the end of the room.

"The first two duelists will be chosen by lottery." One of Kaiba's employees said. "The second pair of duelists won't be selected until the first duel has ended. So the duelists won't know whom they're dueling until just before the match. Does everyone remember his or her number?"

Kaiba was 1. Joey was 2. Yami was 3. Mai was 4. Marik was 5. Bakura was 6. Odion was 7. And 8 was Cat.

The employee activated the machine and the numbered balls span around.

One of them was swallowed up by one of the Blue-Eyes' heads and rolled out into a trough.

"The first duelist is number 6!" The man said.

Bakura laughed nervously.

"Will you be okay?" Honda asked Bakura.

"I think you should really be in bed, resting." Anzu said to Bakura.

Joey frowned.

Something wasn't right. No way Bakura could have healed that fast.

"I-I'm fine." Bakura said. "I'm just surprised that I was chosen so quickly."

The second duelist was chosen. Number 3. It was Yami.

"The chosen duelists must proceed immediately to the Stratos Dueling Arena." The announcer said.

"I wonder how Bakura will fare against Yugi's God card?" Kaiba asked himself quietly.

"Whew…I'm glad I'm not dueling Bakura." Joey whispered to himself.

"I hope Yami will be alright. I have a really bad feeling about Bakura." Cat whispered to herself with a look of concern.

"The duel will be held according to Battle City rules! The winner will receive the loser's rarest card." The announcer said.

Soon, Bakura will win Yugi's God card and then it will be mine! Marik through to himself.

Ishizu remained in her room.

"My Millennium Necklace tells me that the Pharaoh will struggle in this duel." She said.

Yami Bakura grinned. He knew that this duel would bring him one step closer to gaining all seven Millennium Items.

The announcer took Yami and Bakura up the elevator to the dueling arena.

Yami knew he was going to be dueling against the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring.

The arena was outside, on top of the blimp.

Everyone else arrived on the observation level to watch the duel while they shivered in the cold.

"Kaiba Craft 3 is now cruising at an altitude of four thousand feet!" Kaiba announced. "The strong winds and cold air will test your strength and stamina! If you can't take it, you don't belong here!"

"That's cool!" Honda and Duke exclaimed.

"Oh shut up, you're not even dueling." Kay said to the two.

"She's got a point." Cat added in.

"Bakura! Admit to who you really are!" Yami said to Bakura.

Bakura laughed as he changed into Yami Bakura, the Millennium Ring appearing around his neck.

Everyone gasped as they spotted the Millennium Ring.

"It can't be! I tossed the Ring deep into the woods at Duelist Kingdom! How could it have returned to Bakura?" Honda cried.

"What's the big deal?" Marik asked innocently.

Joey attempted to explain the Millennium Items and the spirits that lived inside both of them.

"You see, Yugi is good, while Bakura's bad." Joey explained. "I just hope Bakura doesn't drag Yugi to the Shadow Realm again!"

"What do you hope to gain by joining the Battle City finals?" Yami asked Bakura. "Is it about the Millennium Items?"

"I think you already know that I want the Millennium Items." Yami Bakura said. "But I should warn you. You should probably take a closer look at your friends. You may notice something."

Marik suddenly appeared in Yami Bakura's mind.

"Behave! Or I'll take over your body and duel Yugi myself!" He warned Bakura.

"If you could defeat Yugi, you would have done it already." Yami Bakura said to Marik.

The duel began.


	13. Let the Dueling Begin!

"You're losing you fool!" Marik snapped in Bakura's head.

It was well into the duel and at this time, Yami was able to summon Slifer the Sky Dragon. Yami Bakura was in a tight spot.

"I have a plan, though." Marik said.

"Slifer! Attack Baku-!" Yami was about to launch the attack, but his Millennium Puzzle gave him a sudden jolt, stopping him.

Odion, whom everyone still thought was Marik, approached the arena.

"You'd better wait before attacking, Yugi." Odion warned.

"What?! Yugi doesn't have to listen ta you, ya CREEP!" Joey snapped and was about to get after Odion, but Honda and Duke held him back.

The real Marik looked on at the scene, smiling.

"Who do you think you are, interrupting the duel?!" Mokuba asked Odion.

"Bakura is now under the control of the Millennium Rod, and I plan to use it to release Bakura from the control of the spirit of the Millennium Ring." Odion said.

"The only way for you to win is to free the mind of the boy you possess." Marik said to Yami Bakura. "Yugi won't destroy his friend."

Yami Bakura smirked in agreement and suddenly releases regular Bakura.

Bakura fell to his knees onto the arena, clutching his arm in pain.

"What…what am I doing here?" He asked.

"Maybe you should reconsider your attack, Yugi." Odion said to Yami. "Without the spirit of the Ring, Bakura is weak, and Slifer's attacked could do him some real damage."

"Only a COWARD would do something like this to win a duel!" Yami yelled at Odion.

"Yeah! That's a cheap trick!" Joey agreed.

Odion, without another word, turned and left.

"Well done, Odion." Marik told Odion.

"Ugh…Yugi, I don't feel well…" Bakura said.

Yami was about to go to him, but Roland stopped him.

"You'll forfeit the duel if you touch your opponent." Roland told him.

"That's not fair!" Anzu cried.

"Bakura needs help!" Honda yelled.

"Please stop the duel!" Cat cried.

"Yeah! This is more serious than a duel!" Duke shouted.

"Stop the duel now!" Joey yelled.

"This is the perfect plan." Marik said to himself. "With Bakura hurt, the Pharaoh won't attack and he'll lose the duel."

"Yugi, continue the match." Roland said to Yami. "Or forfeit it."

Yami didn't know what to do! He couldn't lose the duel! But he couldn't risk hurting Bakura either!

"Yugi! Just finish him off!" Kaiba said to Yami.

"You must make your move or be disqualified!" Roland said to Yami.

"Kaiba! You have to do something!" Kay snapped. "Bakura needs medical help!"

"He'll be fine." Kaiba mummered.

Kay glared at him.

"NO, he WON'T!" She snapped.

Joey started to climb onto the arena to try and convince Roland to stop the duel. Honda and Duke following him.

Roland warned Joey to get down, or he would be disqualified.

For a moment, that wasn't going to stop Joey, but Honda and Duke, once again, had to restrain him.

"Keep going Yugi." Roland said to Yami.

Yami Bakura appeared next to Marik in spirit.

"We're about to win. Yugi would never attack his friend." Yami Bakura said.

"Unless he wants to win the finals." Marik added in.

Yami Bakura suddenly became worried.

"What if Yugi DOES attack and my host gets damaged? I need that body and I must protect it." He said.

Quickly, Yami Bakura takes over Bakura's body again and stood strong on the dueling platform.

"I'm back!" Yami Bakura said to Yami. "Go for it. Attack me!"

Yami did so, attacking with Slifer the Sky Dragon. Yami Bakura took the attack, laughing all the way. Slifer's attack flooded the arena with light.

Yami won the duel.

Bakura lied on the field as Roland announced Yami the winner.

Yami and the others ran over to Bakura, who was weak, but conscious.

Honda picked him up.

"Let's take him to his room." He said.

Everyone started on their way to Bakura's room.

"I'm glad Bakura's okay." Yami said to himself. "If the spirit hadn't come back, I don't know what I would have done. The Ring is like my Puzzle. It holds an ancient spirit that needs someone else in order to exist. Even though the spirit of the Ring is evil, it needs Bakura to survive."

Yugi appeared next to him in spirit.

"The big difference, though, is that yours and my spirit are friends who support each other. Together, we'll figure out the secrets of your past and stop Marik from taking your power. Your destiny is my destiny too! And we'll win together!" Yugi said.

Yugi and Yami did a high five before Yugi took over and followed after everyone.

Roland stopped Yugi though.

"According to Battle City rules, you're entitled to Bakura's rarest card." He said.

"Bakura's been through enough." Yugi said and ran off without taking Bakura's rarest card.

"I knew Yugi would win." Mokuba said.

"It was no surprise." Kaiba agreed. "With a card as powerful as Slifer the Sky Dragon in his deck, Yugi will be difficult to defeat. Unless his opponent also has a God card."

Everyone was crowded around Bakura's bed.

"He needs some rest." Duke said. "But we need to land the blimp to get him to a hospital."

"Some crazy stuff went on in that duel." Joey said.

"It sounds like Marik and the evil spirit of the Ring are working together." Cat said.

"Yeah, I think so too." Yugi agreed.

Joey jumped up. "That's it! I'm ready to take on Marik!" He said, determined.

"Actually, Joey, I tink it's time to talk to Kaiba about landing the airship to get help for Bakura." Honda said.

Everyone was about to leave until Yugi stopped.

"Hey! The Millennium Ring is gone! Bakura had it around his neck during the duel." He said. "But it's no longer there."

"That thing seems to come and go as it pleases." Honda said.

"Maybe that God card blasted it." Joey suggested.

Cat stayed behind to watch over Bakura.

Once the rest of the gang left, Cat's eyes went blank.

Marik laughed as Cat held the Millennium Ring in her hand.

"There will be a half-hour intermission before the next duel!"

The announcement rang throughout the airship.

Mai was in her room, working on her strategies.

Marik was stirring the ice cubes in his drink, in his room while Odion sat in silence.

Everyone else was in the hallway.

"We have to help Bakura." Yugi said.

"Yeah! We should go find Kaiba. He should be in one of these rooms." Joey said.

Just then, Mokuba entered through the elevator.

"Hey you guys. You're in a restricted area." He said.

"Mokuba, where is Kaiba?" Yugi asked.

Mokuba pointed to room number 1.

"But you don't want to disturb him." He said.

Joey, of course, ignored Mokuba's words and was already pounding on Kaiba's door.

"Kaiba! Get out here!" He yelled.

Mokuba jumped.

"Joey! Stop it!" He cried. But once again, Joey ignored Mokuba.

Kaiba finally opened the door and loomed over Joey.

"You're lucky to even be in my tournament, yet you insist on making a nuisance of yourself, over and over." Kaiba said.

Joey was about to blow up again, until Honda jumped in front of Joey.

"Calm down, Joey." Honda said.

"You have to help us, Kaiba." Yugi said. "Bakura's hurt and we have to land so we can get him to a doctor."

Kaiba retreated into his room.

"It's impossible." He said.

Everyone followed him into his room.

"C'mon Kaiba!" Duke said.

"We need you to do this for us!" Anzu joined in.

"Please Kaiba? Show some compassion." Shizuka pleaded.

"Yeah, Kaiba! Listen to Shizuka!" Both Honda and Duke said at the same time.

"It's Bakura's own fault. He shouldn't have left the hospital in the first place." Kaiba said.

"But he's really hurt. Please Kaiba?" Shizuka continued to beg.

"Kaiba! If you don't land this blimp, I'm gonna knock you to the ground!" Joey snapped.

Kaiba sighed, getting tired of everyone begging.

"Fine." He said before ordering a medical team sent to Bakura's room.

"The onboard medical staff has better training than most hospitals." Kay explained to everyone as she put down her book. She was sitting on Kaiba's bed again, reading.

"Where did you come from?" Joey asked.

Kay smiled. "Bakura's in good hands." She said.

Everyone accepted this answer and left Kaiba's room.

"That was an amazing speech, Shizuka!" Honda complemented.

Duke took Shizuka's hands.

"I was moved too." He said.

Shizuka blushed and looked down.

"I'm not so great." She said.

"I wonder if Bakura's really going to be okay." Joey said.

"I hope so." Yugi said.

"We still have to find Bakura's Millennium Ring." Honda said. "Leave it to me and Duke! You and Joey have to focus on the finals."

Honda then dragged Duke away from Shizuka to help him with the search.

"The remaining finalists must now report to the main concourse!"

Shadi had appeared on the blimp. He first saved Duke and Honda from falling off the blimp earlier. And he just finished having a conversation with Yugi and Yami.

Yami left his room to find the gang in the hallways.

"Dude! A freaky guy in a robe saved Duke and me! I'm serious!" Honda was telling Joey.

"I didn't actually see the guy, but someone had to have pulled us up." Duke said.

"Quite playing jokes." Joey said.

"I wonder if there really was some kind of ghost." Shizuka wondered.

Joey suddenly looked spooked.

"G-Ghosts don't exists!" He said.

Yami walked up from behind Joey and put a hand on his shoulder, causing Joey to jump.

"GYAH!" Joey cried.

Everyone laughed.


	14. Round One Finished

"I promise to save my brother, Marik. There is still good in him." Ishizu said, still in her room, remembering Marik as a child, giving her a wreath of flowers as a gift.

Suddenly, Shadi was sitting across from her.

"Evil once again walks the Earth." He said.

"Yes. But I never thought my own brother would be the medium." Ishizu agreed, seemly unsurprised by Shadi's sudden appearance. "The world must be saved, but at what cost? I don't want to lose my brother."

But when Ishizu turned to look at Shadi again, he was gone.

Cat was still in Bakura's room, under Marik's control, and holding onto the Millennium Ring.

"I think I'll keep the Ring for now. Along with the occasional control of Cat's mind." Marik said.

Shadi suddenly appeared next to Cat.

He knew that his Millennium Key was shielding him from her sight.

The mystic disturbance that brought me here is the strongest in this room! The destinies of certain Millennium Items are being manipulated! And until harmony is restored, the world will be in grave peril! Shadi thought to himself.

Everyone gathered in the main concourse, where Roland welcomed them all.

"The bingo machine will now randomly select the next two duelists!" Mokuba announced.

Everyone watched the numbered balls bounce around in the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Bingo machine.

The first duelist was chosen. Number 2, Jounouchi Katsuya!

And his opponent was…number 7! Marik/Odion!

Yami looked at Odion, knowing that he probably was planning to use his Millennium Rod to win. So Joey had better be prepared for anything.

Joey made some threatening noises and Odion, who only stared back at him, grimly.

Joey and Odion faced each other on the dueling platform, where they shuffled each other's decks.

"Go Joey!" Honda cheered.

"Joey looks really fired up." Yami pointed out.

"When Joey gets really fired up, he tends to shoot his mouth off." Honda said. "He'd better watch that with Marik."

"Honda's right. Joey's got to stay focused." Mai agreed.

Joey continued shuffling, growling fiercely at Odion.

"I hope Joey will be alright." Shizuka said.

"This is the first time Shizuka gets to see Joey duel, right?" Anzu said.

"With you here to cheer Joey on, he won't lose." Yami said to Shizuka.

"Yeah." Cat agreed, smiling at Shizuka. "Cheer your best for your brother."

"Joey…I think you've shuffled enough." Roland said to Joey.

Finally, the duelists took back their decks and went to their positions.

"I'll make you wish you never tried to mind-control me!" Joey snapped at Odion. "I'll win in nine turns!"

"Where did Joey come up with nine?" Kay asked.

"With Joey, you don't ask." Honda said.

"Joey's pretty wonderful to have figured out the whole duel in advance!" Shizuka said with amazement.

Everyone just stared at her and sweatdropped.

Suddenly, Odion held up something that looked like the Millennium Rod and Joey cringed.

"I knew Marik would use the Rod." Yami mummered.

"Hey! Point that thing somewhere else!" Joey snapped at Odion.

Odion silently put the Rod away.

Marik smirked. He knew that the Rod that Odion had was merely a replica of his own.

"But I'm concerned about Kaiba. Little Yugi isn't the only one standing between him and the power of the Pharaoh. The ancient tablets also depict a sorcerer who bears a striking resemblance to Kaiba, and who holds the Millennium Rod. But before the finals are over, Kaiba's God card, Obelisk the Tormentor, will belong to me! I'll show Kaiba what true power is all about!" Marik thought to himself before glancing over at Kay and Cat. "And those two women…if they learn about their pasts, then they'll be standing in the way as well. Especially since that "Kay" girl has a special and unbreakable bond with Kaiba. If Kaiba is who I really think he is, then her past self shares the same bond with him that the two do now. But even if Cat learns about her ancestor, she's too scared of me to do anything."

"If Marik is the leader of the Rare Hunters, he must have a ton of rare cards in his deck." Mokuba said.

"There's only one card in Marik's deck I care about. His God card." Kaiba said. "The Winged Dragon of Ra. I hope that hack, Jounouchi Katsuya, will last long enough in the duel so I can see how Ra words, so I can win it for myself."

The duel began.

Joey held Odion up, who was bearly conscious.

Joey had won the duel and Odion had lost. They also had just found out the Odion wasn't the real Marik. Plus the Millennium Rod and Winged Dragon of Ra card he had were also fake.

Odion collapsed because the Winged Dragon of Ra punished him. Only people connected to the ancient scriptures were allowed to use a God card.

Yami came onto the platform with the two.

"I'm sorry Joey…It was an honor to duel you." Odion said.

"Yeah. You too." Joey agreed. "Who are you really?"

"I am a servant of the real Marik." Odion said and pointed at Marik, who was clutching his head, the real Millennium Rod in his hand. He was struggling with his evil side.

"Tell us your true identity!" Yami cried out to Marik.

Marik then turned on them.

"You're all fools!" He said. "I am the real Marik!"

"So this is who has the real Winged Dragon of Ra." Kaiba said.

"At last, I can finish the job my pathetic servants couldn't!" Marik continued. "Soon I'll have the Pharaoh's Puzzle and power!"

Suddenly Marik's face contorts as his dark side began to emerge.

"I was afraid of this." Odion said. "Beware the great evil hidden within Marik! He's no longer able to contain it."

After Odion said these words, he passed out.

Everyone continued to watch Marik as he continued to struggle with his dark side. The Millennium Eye glows on Marik's forehead as Yami Marik then took control.

"Now I'm free! And I'll do things my way!" He said. "I am the true Marik! And I'll finish the job my weaker self couldn't! Soon I'll have the Pharaoh's Puzzle and Yugi and his friends will be trapped in the Shadow Realm forever! Odion's failure proved that only a chosen few can control the Egyptian God cards! Kaiba is one."

"That's nonsense! I control Obelisk because I'm a master duelist!" Kaiba said.

"You can't escape your three thousand year old memories." Yami Marik said. "The battle for the Pharaoh's power begins now!"

Everyone was gathered around Odion's bedside.

"How is he?" Joey asked a doctor.

"His tests are fine. But he mental stress he's been through has left him unconscious." The doctor explained.

"He's lucky to be all right." Anzu said.

"Yeah." Joey agreed.

"First Bakura, now him. So many people have been hurt in this tournament." Cat said.

"We were both standing right there when the Egyptian God monster went kerblooey. But I'm perfectly fine." Joey said.

"We won't find out who this guy is, until he wakes up." Duke said.

"Whoever he was, he was determined to protect Marik as long as he could." Yami said.

"And for what?!" Joey cried. "Now he's lying in a hospital bed, and Marik couldn't care less!"

"I feel sorry for him. It's times when you're down, you need friends around the most." Mai said.

"I get it!" Joey cried and looked to everyone excitedly. "I was able to get up after getting hit by that lightening bolt because you were all with me!"

"What? Like that dream you had involving vanilla pudding and a monkey?" Honda snickered.

Joey started to fume and jumped on Honda.

"It's time for Kaiba to pick the next two duelists." Kay reminded them.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and left the room.

When they reached the door, Mai stopped Joey.

"Hey Joey? In that dream where you said everyone helped you up…was I in there?" She asked.

Joey suddenly got all flustered.

Mai WAS in there too, but he was too embarrassed to say.

"N-no. You weren't there. Most of my dreams are about manly stuff!" He said before walking off.

"He's a typical guy." Anzu mummered.

Joey continued walking down the hallway.

"Whew…that was a close one." He mummered. "The last thing I want, is for Mai to think I'm thinking about her."

Anzu followed him and grabbed Joey by the ear.

"Hey! Why are you so mean?!" Anzu snapped. "Mai wanted to feel like your friend, but you were too immature to let her! GROW UP!" She yelled in his ear before marching away, leaving Joey dazed from the yelling in his ear.

Mai was still in Odion's room.

"He's not the only forgotten one." She mummered, looking at Odion. "I'm used to it anyways. I'm a loner. Who needs friends? There's only one person you can count on in the heat of a battle, and that's yourself!"

(A/N: I know I'm being lazy and all, but I REALLY don't want to write out what's happening in the duels. Sorry, I'm not going to write out any duels.)

"She's not waking up." Shizuka said to Joey worriedly.

Mai had just lost a duel with Marik. She was now under Marik's spell, and if they didn't save her, she was going to die.

"Mai…" Joey said.

"She can't hear you." Anzu said. "Marik trapped her mind."

"This tournament has gotten way out of hand!" Joey exclaimed.

"It's because there's a mind-warping psycho on board." Duke said.

Everyone frowned on Duke.

"What? I'm just being honest!" Duke pointed out.

It was time for the fourth duel to begin.

"I'll stay here with Mai." Shizuka said.

Everyone nodded and headed up to the dueling arena, where Kaiba was already waiting.

Everyone had dueled except Kaiba and Cat. It was their turn to duel.

Once everyone had made it out, they waited for the duel to begin.

While they were waiting, Mokuba contacted Kaiba, telling him on his lapel radio that the Winged Dragon of Ra card, had been successfully scanned into the mainframe, and the network was translation the Egyptian text on the card.

They had found on in Mai's duel against Marik, that you could only use the Winged Dragon of Ra if you could translate the text on the card.

"If Cat doesn't get there soon, she'll be disqualified. What do you think she's doing?" Joey asked.

"M-Maybe she had to use the restroom or something?"

Everyone turned around in the direction of the voice to find Cat doing her best to try and not gain any attention to herself.

"CAT!" They all said at the same time.

Cat froze.

"What are you doing here? You should be up there, ready to face Kaiba!" Anzu said.

"But…but!" Cat protested as Kay and Joey grabbed each of her arms and drug her to the arena.

"I know he can be a jerk sometimes, but at least it's not Marik, right?" Kay said.

Cat looked up sheepishly.

"Well I guess I can't argue with that…" She mummered.

Cat finally made her way onto the platform and stood in her area.

Kaiba frowned at her.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up late." He growled. "Were you scared?"

Cat had an insecure face on.

"That's on a need to know basis, don'tcha think?" She said.

"Whatever." Kaiba said and pulled out his duel disk. "Can we get this over with? Defeating you will bring me one step closer to the God cards."

"Fine." Cat mummered pulling out her duel disk.

Kaiba entered the computer room on the airship.

Kay and Mokuba were both working on the text.

"Have you been able to translate the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra?" He asked Mokuba.

"I'm pretty close." Mokuba said. "But for some reason, the network is still having trouble with the last few words."

Kaiba looked at the image of the text. He gasped.

"I…I can read it!" He exclaimed.

"You what?" Kay asked.

Kaiba then remembered something Marik said. Something about that the words on the card were written in an ancient text used by high-ranking officials in Egypt.

He then remembered Ishizu telling Kaiba how he was the sorcerer opposing the Pharaoh on the carved stone tablet.

And finally, while he was dueling Cat, he had a sudden vision of an ancient version of himself, kneeling in front of a carving of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, holding a girl in his arms.

Two other girls were near him, including another man.

One of the girls was mourning with him.

"I am the CEO of Kaiba Corp.! Not an ancient magician!" Kaiba insisted to himself. But it was soon that Kaiba fell to his knees, unable to deal with the vision that he saw.

"Kaiba!" Kay cried and kneeled next to him. "What's wrong?"

"Seto!" Mokuba also cried.

"Round one of the Battle City finals are over! The four remaining finalists are Yugi, Joey, Kaiba and Marik! The competition will resume tomorrow when we land at our next dueling site!" Roland announced.

Everyone was in the hallway, listening to the announcement.

Cat sighed as she leaned against a wall, depressed.

"It's okay Cat. You did great." Yami said trying to encourage Cat.

"I guess we're not dueling on the blimp anymore." Joey said. "That's good. I was getting airsick."

"But the important thing is, is that we both made it to the next round." Yami said. "We should get some rest."

"Things are getting pretty intense. Bakura and Odion are knocked out while Mai's under Marik's spell." Anzu said.

"It's all because of Marik." Yami said.

"Don't worry! We'll stop that creep." Joey said with confidence.

Everyone was just about to check up on Mai, until Ishizu appeared!

"Can I visit Mai with you?" She asked.

"Ishizu!" Yugi exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came as Kaiba's guest." Ishizu explained.

"Sure. You can came with us." Yugi said.

Everyone walked into Mai's room, where Shizuka was still watching over Mai.

"Mai hasn't said a word." Shizuka reported.

"Sorry Mai…for letting you down." Joey said. "I promise I'll get your revenge for you."

"Anger and revenge will only make things worse." Cat pointed out. "That's how Mai got this way. Marik is so full of anger and hate that he enjoys making other people suffer.

"When I took off my bandages, this isn't what I wanted to see." Shizuka said before she began to cry.

Anzu tried to comfort her.

"I'm sorry, Shizuka." Joey mummered.

"There is hope ahead." Ishizu said. "Where there is evil, there is also good. Marik was good once. Marik began life as an innocent child, but that innocence disappeared, leaving him with a dark hole where his heart once was. I remember when this evil was born. It happened on the night that Marik was give the Tomb Keepers' initiation and inherited the task of protecting the Pharaoh's tomb."

Everyone listened silently.

"Now this evil has completely taken over my brother's body." Ishizu continued.

"What if there's no way to save your brother? It might be too late." Yugi said. "You told me it was my destiny to save the world. I thought that meant defeating Marik and putting an end to his plan. Not saving him."

"Yeah, Yug's got a point there." Joey said.

"It's kinda hard to believe Marik was ever nice." Honda said.

Duke nodded.

"You must trust me. I know there is hope. It wasn't that long ago that Marik began to lose his way." Ishizu said. "For three thousand years, the Ishtars have guarded the Pharaoh's tomb, waiting for the Pharaoh's return. As the first born son, Marik was required to bear the Pharaoh's secret on his back. And he was forbidden to ever leave the tomb."

She began to tell them the story.

"Now that Marik had seen the outside world, forgetting it was impossible. Marik and me disobeyed our father and went to the outside world. But once we returned, we were caught. Odion was punished and that's when Marik's evil side started to come out." Ishizu continued.

"Are we supposed to feel sorry for that spoiled brat because he grew into an evil nutcase?" Joey asked Ishizu. "He's trapped Mai and now she's living out her worst nightmares! I'm going to make him pay!"

"It's possible to destroy the evil within my brother without destroying the good." Ishizu said to Yugi. "I have realized now that destinies can be changed. As the Pharaoh's vessel, you have the power to do it."

"Everyone is to return to their rooms in two minutes." Roland announced.

"I'll crash in Joey's room." Honda said.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Who said you could?" Joey protested.

"Joey, your room is like a palace. You'll never know I was there." Honda said.

"I'll know by the smell." Joey said. "Good Night Shizuka. Yugi, we'd better get some rest. Odds are, one of us will have to duel Marik, so we'd better be ready."

"How do you know that you and Yugi won't be dueling each other in the finals?" Cat asked.

Joey freaked out.

"Watch it! You might jinx us!" He cried.

Cat laughed.

Ishizu took off her Millennium Necklace and handed it to Yugi.

"I no longer have any use for it. It no longer shows me the future." She said. "I've completed my mission and now it's your turn."

Joey Honda, Duke, Anzu and Yugi headed for their rooms.

Yugi held the Millennium Necklace and Puzzle in his hands.

"Now that I have two Millennium Items, I'll need them bother to put an end to Marik's plan." He said to himself.

Ishizu also left the room, but Cat ran after her.

"Excuse me! Ishizu, right?" Cat asked.

Ishizu turned and looked at Cat.

"If Yugi defeats the dark force inside Marik, will the world be safe from danger?" Cat asked.

"I'm not sure. But Yugi now possesses the power to discover those answers." Ishizu answered before leaving.

Cat watched her leave and once she was gone, her eyes went blank as Marik took control.

"I won't be discarded that easily." He said. "That fiend might have taken over my body but a portion of my spirit remains within Cat."

Mind controlled Cat entered Bakura's room with the Millennium Ring. She placed it next to Bakura's head on his pillow.

Once she did that, Bakura's eyes opened.


	15. Trouble

Yugi laid in bed, wide awake.

He knew that the Battle City finals were going to end tomorrow.

Yami appeared in spirit, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Yugi, you need to sleep." He said.

"I'm worried though." Yugi said.

"We can do this together." Yami tried to reassure him.

"Things have gotten so much out of hand. Just when I think I have Marik all figured out, he goes and gets twenty times more evil than he was in the first place!" Yugi exclaimed.

"We will defeat him, Yugi." Yami said.

Yugi didn't look convinced.

"Let me guess." He said sarcastically. "If we trust in our decks and in ourselves, we can beat this guy."

"Yes." Yami mummered.

Yugi sighed and turned over onto his side.

This was much more than a card game. And Yugi didn't want to lose any more friends.

Yugi closed his eyes as tears ran down his cheeks.

Yami Marik walked into Odion's room, pulling out the hidden dagger in the Millennium Rod.

"It's time to do what I should have done ages ago. In order for me to survive, Odion must die." He said.

But before Yami Marik could do anything, someone entered the room behind him.

"I'll have to step in now." Yami Bakura said.

Yami Marik turned to face him angrily.

"The sprit of the Ring?" He asked.

"You're half right." Yami Bakura said.

"Me, the real Marik is here too. And I want my body back." Marik said.

"Marik promised me the Millennium Rod if I could do away with you." Yami Bakura said to Yami Marik.

Yami Marik laughed.

"So you're the fool who's trying to collect the Millennium Items." He said before using the Rod to push Bakura against the wall.

Quickly, Yami Marik turned around to try and finish off Odion, but Yami Bakura used his Millennium Ring to stop him.

"I'm not afraid of you." Yami Bakura said.

"It seems our Millennium powers are equal." Yami Marik said. "Would you like to duel me for the Rod?"

"Sure." Yami Bakura said.

They made their way to the dueling arena on top of the blimp.

The winner would get to keep the Millennium Rod, while the loser would be banished to the Shadow Realm.

The duel started.

Yugi slept silently, his Millennium Puzzle on the pillow next to him.

Joey and Honda had to share a bed while Duke slept next to them on some tables that had been shoved together.

"Kaiba…I challenge you!" Joey muttered in his sleep before accidentally punching Honda in his sleep.

Honda only turned over and continued to sleep.

In Mai's room, Shizuka was still there. She was slowly falling asleep.

Odion was still unconscious and Ishizu slept in her room.

Anzu was asleep in Kay's room. Kay let her sleep there for the night.

Cat laid half on and half off Bakura's now empty bed, sleeping.

Kaiba was sitting at his computer, continuing to study the text on the Winged Dragon of Ra. He was wondering while he could read it. He had seen Ra's abilities. He now needed to win it from Marik.

Kay was still sitting on Kaiba's bed, reading.

She silently wondered to herself if Kaiba ever slept.

Yugi was still asleep until the Millennium Puzzle began to glow. Yugi then found himself inside his soul room, surrounded by toys and games.

"This stuff looks familiar." Yugi muttered to himself. "But I can't remember where I've seen it before."

Yugi opened the door and spotted another door across form him.

"Now I remember!" He said. "This is the inside of my mind. And that door is the Pharaoh's side. I've been there before."

Yugi opened the door to find a huge puzzle like interior with doors everywhere that had traps behind some. And dead ends in others. Some were false starts.

Yami walked up to Yugi.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"It seems like things are getting out of hand lately. And it seems like the danger's growing." Yugi started.

Yami nodded. "The danger grows as we near our destiny." He agreed.

"I think I know why this place is so complex. All the confusing paths represent the mysteries of your past. And the questions they have about the future. I know we'll figure all of it out soon!" Yugi said.

After a little while of walking, Yugi and Yami sat on one of the many stairways inside Yami's soul room.

"Remember the last time you were here?" Yami asked. "Shadi had used his Millennium Key to see inside my mind. But even he couldn't find any answers here. I've climbed these staircases and entered these doors just as Shadi did. But to no avail."

"Shadi hasn't given up yet. That's why he appeared to us here on the blimp. Remember what Marik said? The secret to the Pharaoh's power is imprinted on his back. Perhaps he holds the answers we're looking for." Yugi said.

Yami nodded. "Yes." He said before going into thought.

"What's on your mind?" Yugi asked.

"It's just…the Rare Hunters and Marik. They've been after Cat too, right?" Yami asked.

"Yeah." Yugi said slowly and paused. "Oh I see what you mean. You're wondering what part she has to play in this."

Yami nodded again. "Yes." He said. "I keep on wondering what she holds that Marik wants so badly."

"Maybe she's connected to your past?" Yugi suggested.

Yami looked at Yugi.

"That is a possibility. But right now, whatever secret she's holding, is as mysterious as my past." He said.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed. "And apparently it'll help Marik in some way. So we have to protect Cat from Marik's clutches too."

"Of course." Yami said.

Yugi and Yami stood up and shook hands.

"We have to defeat Marik and unlock that power before he does." Yugi said. "We will always work together!"

Yami smiled.

"Yes we will." He said.

Cat slowly woke up and lifted her head.

"I'm still in Bakura's room?" She asked herself and sleepily looked at Bakura's bed. "But…where is he?"

Cat quickly rubbed her eyes and stood up, leaving the room. She had to tell Yugi about this.

She hurried over to Yugi's door and knocked on it, waking Yugi up.

Yugi opened the door, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Cat? What's up?" He asked sleepily.

"Yugi, Bakura's gone!" Cat said.

"He's what?" Yugi asked.

And with that, they began their search.

The two had looked everywhere, but they hadn't found Bakura.

"I've got a feeling Marik's behind it." Yugi said.

"I wouldn't doubt that for a moment." Cat said.

Kaiba was still at his computer, studying the Winged Dragon of Ra.

Mokuba slept in a chair nearby, his brother's trench coat covering him. Kay remained where she was, but was slowly falling asleep herself.

Kaiba silently wondered to himself if he used his crush card combo against the Winged Dragon of Ra.

He gasped when he saw that the computer predicted only a 13 chance of victory.

Ra had even more power than he thought!

Yugi and Cat rose in the elevator.

"The Stratos dueling arena is the only place we haven't checked." Yugi said.

Once they got off the elevator, they were shocked to see that the dueling arena was covered in a dark fog!

"Bakura must be in there dueling Marik!" Yugi exclaimed.

The Millennium Puzzle activated and Yami took over.

Cat didn't notice until after she said her sentence.

"I don't know about you, but this place creeps me out." She said.

Yami turned to Cat.

"This is dangerous. Enough people have gotten hurt already. Cat will you go back downstairs?" Yami asked.

Cat stared at him.

"No. I'm not leaving you. I know I'm not any use, but I want to try and help!" She protested.

Yami sighed.

"Cat. I understand you want to help, but we can't risk anything happening to you. Marik is after you and I don't know what I'll do if he catches you." He explained calmly.

Cat looked determined.

"I-I understand the risks. But I can take care of myself. I'll be fine, I promise. So…please?" She said.

Yami looked to the ground and frowned for a moment.

"Alright." He said. "But stay near me, alright?"

Cat smiled.

"Okay!" She said.

The duel between Yami Marik and Yami Bakura had ended. Yami Bakura had lost the duel.

"Get ready to enter the Darkness." Yami Marik said to Bakura with a smirk.

Yami Bakura only smiled.

"I am the Darkness!" He laughed as his body dissolved. "You haven't seen the last of me!"

Outside the cloud of darkness, Yami and Cat stood.

"I must put an end to Marik's evil plans. But Marik has apparently gotten stronger and more evil with each duel. Now Marik has been targeting our friends. He must be stopped before anyone else falls victim to his insanity." Yami explained.

Cat nodded.

But when Yami wasn't looking, Cat's eyes suddenly went blank. Marik hid inside her mind.

The shadows finally disappeared and Yami Marik picked up the Millennium Ring.

Yami approached him.

"What have you done with Bakura?" He demanded.

"Where does anyone go after losing a Shadow Game? It won't be long before you join him, Pharaoh." Yami Marik said smugly.

Ishizu was sleeping uneasily. Images of Winged Dragon of Ra were stuck in her mind. So were the images of her brother being consumed by the Shadows.

She suddenly woke up as Cat entered the room.

"Cat?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

But it wasn't Cat.

"Ishizu. I need your help." Marik said.

Yami Bakura had taken refuge within the Millennium Puzzle.

A part of him had been hiding there ever since he infused part of his spirit into one of its pieces.

"Now there's work to be done." He said. "Where better to unlock the power of the Pharaoh than within the dwelling of the Pharaoh himself?"

Yami Marik re-entered Odion's room, his hidden dagger out again. He was intending to kill Odion.

But Odion wasn't there.

Yami Marik frowned.

"Ishizu must have moved him." He said to himself.

Kaiba was still at his computer.

Mokuba was still sleeping on the chair and Kay had finally fallen asleep on the bed, her book set aside.

"It seems that certain secret abilities were added to the Winged Dragon of Ra when the card was created. I must possess it, if I am to regain my glory as the world's greatest duelist." Kaiba mummered to himself.

Mokuba slowly woke up.

"What are you still doing up?" He asked sleepily. "Even you need some sleep. The finals are tomorrow."

"I'm aware of that." Kaiba said. "That's what I'm preparing for."

Kaiba and Mokuba walked to the bridge.

"We're currently on course for Kaiba Corp. Island, where the last round of the finals will be held." Kaiba said. "There, the champion will be crowned at the site where our stepfather was last seen, after I took over the corporation and left him with nothing! The tower I built there symbolizes the new era of Kaiba Corp. and stands as a reminder of my power. I have chosen this island for the finals because I'm finally ready to return to the land where our stepfather made his billions. Now I, too, have built a mighty empire, and I've done it on my own terms. I'll win the tournament the same way. On my own, with no help from anyone. I'll prove that there's no one on earth who's superior to me!"

Beneath the ocean, a large undersea structure was seen.

"The Kaiba Corp. airship is currently 1.4 miles from our present coordinates." A voice said on a radio.

"Begin ascent."

"I will reclaim everything Seto has stolen from me."

The sun rose from behind Kaiba Corp. Island.

The airship was approaching the island.

Yugi sat up in his bed, holding his Millennium Puzzle.

"I didn't sleep at all last night. After everything that happened, it's clear that Marik will stop at nothing to get the power of the Pharaoh." He said to himself. "Bakura is only the latest of Marik's victims! First his servant Odion fell, then Marik trapped Mai's mind. I'm not going to just sit around and wait to find out who's next! Marik must be stopped before-"

Yugi was interrupted and startled out of bed by a rumbling and shaking of the blimp.

In Joey's room, he was knocked out of the bed by the impact.

He quickly sat up and rubbed his backside in pain. He turned to Honda and Duke who were still sleeping.

They both mumbled, "Shizuka." In their sleep, smiling.

Joey glared at them.

"What are you two dreaming about?!" He asked angrily before another jolt of the blimp knocked him on top of them.

It woke them up painfully.

Joey quickly got up.

"Get up! There's something wrong with the airship!" He said.

Shizuka was still sitting at Mai's beside.

She woke up and looked around.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Just then Anzu walked in.

"Anzu, did you hear the noise?" Shizuka asked.

"Yeah, I did." Anzu said.

"Why is the blimp turning?!" Mokuba asked the pilots. "You'd better get the ship back on course!"

Kaiba and Kay rushed in.

"What's going on?" Kay asked.

"The airship is turning on it's own." Mokuba explained.

"Get it under control!" Kaiba ordered the pilots.

Yugi, Joey, Cat, Honda and everyone else ran onto the bridge.

Yami Marik laughed as he stood on the dueling platform.

"It seems that someone else is bringing chaos on these fools as well! How amusing." He said.


	16. Is it Really Virtual?

"The autopilot isn't responding!" One of the pilots insisted. "What do we do, Mr. Kaiba?"

"I pay you good money, so you'd better do whatever you have to do to get us back on course!" Kaiba said sternly.

Honda looked out a window at the island.

"The island looks like a pile of junk." He said.

"That island is where our company started!" Mokuba protested.

"That will be the site of the finals. I built it from the ruins of my stepfather's empire, to symbolize the triumph of new over old." Kaiba explained.

"Kaiba Corp. wasn't always a game company. Our stepfather set it up to construct high-tech military vehicles. The island used to be the corporation's central headquarters, until Seto took over and tore down all the military factories, building the Duel Tower on top of the rubble as a symbol of the new Kaiba Corp." Mokuba explained.

"That's enough Mokuba." Kaiba said.

What happened between him and his stepfather was family business, and ancient history.

Kaiba commanded an empire that dwarfs his stepfather's, and once he's crowned the world's greatest duelist on top of that tower, he'll be free from his stepfather's shadow forever! Kaiba thought to himself.

"Sir! Someone has hacked into our computer and changed the destination coordinates!" The pilot announced.

"That's not possible!" Mokuba insisted. "Our security is state of the art!"

Suddenly the blimp took a dive before it hit the surface of the water, tossing everyone around the ship.

"Can you say lawsuit?!" Joey cried.

Kaiba was angry now.

"I won't let my triumphant return to Kaiba Corp. Island be ruined by some computer geek!" He snapped.

Suddenly, the airship's viewscreen dissolved into static.

"Hello everyone." A voice said through the radio.

A boy with hair similar to Kaiba's, but only a blue-green, appeared on the screen.

"Who are you?!" Kaiba demanded.

"You're always barking orders, Seto." The boy said. "I've been observing you for some time. And it's time to put you in your place. From now on, I'll be calling the shots. And the first order of business is the put an end to your little card game."

"Cut the small talk and just tell me who you are!" Kaiba snapped.

"My name is Noa. You and I, Seto, go way back." The boy introduced himself.

The viewscreen then changed again, showing them the ocean ahead of them. There was nothing at first, until a large fortress surfaced. The airship was heading right towards it!

"Hey! Let us go you brat!" Honda snapped.

"Yeah, we have other important things to get to!" Kay yelled.

"That kid has us right where he wants us. I just wish I knew where that was!" Joey cried.

Once they got close enough, a large hold opened up on top of the fortress, and the airship landed inside. Yami Marik was still on top of the airship, laughing.

"As soon as we land, I'm going to make that little brat pay!" Kaiba growled.

"I get the first crack at him!" Honda called.

"Take is easy, Honda. He's just a kid." Duke said.

"Joey, are we going to be alright?" Shizuka asked.

"We're safe as long as I'm here." Joey said with a grin.

"Everyone, just stay out of this! This is my airship and I'll handle it." Kaiba said to everyone.

Kaiba knew that there had to be more to this than what meets the eye. There was no way that kid could have planned it all by himself!

The airship finally landed in its destination, deep within the fortress.

Noa came back on the ship's viewscreen.

"It's time for you and your friends to exit the ship." Noa said. "I've got stun phasers aimed at you all to make sure you do."

"Stay where you all are, while I go out there alone." Kaiba said to everyone before heading to the exit.

Everyone else followed him anyways.

"There is NO WAY I'm letting you go alone!" Kay protested.

"Yeah! We'll all handle this brat together!" Joey agreed.

"Noa! I'll be coming out alone!" Kaiba said to Noa.

But in response, Noa aimed the guns at them. They shot and phaser blasts zoomed by them.

"You ALL must come out." Noa repeated.

The blimp's exit stairs came down and Kaiba walked out, followed by Mokuba, Kay, Yugi, Cat, Joey, Anzu, Shizuka, Duke, and Honda.

"I'm still handling this by myself. We'll all be on our way soon." Kaiba repeated to everyone.

"Get over yourself!" Joey said. "Whatever Noa's beef with you, is our problem now, too!"

"Continue walking straight ahead." Noa instructed as a door opened in the hold.

A couple of Kaiba's employees tried to run out of the ship after them, but Noa's phasers stopped them.

"This invitation is for duelists only." Noa said.

"Honda's no duelist. Neither are a couple of other people here." Duke said.

"No one has to know that!" Honda protested.

Everyone continued on towards the door.

"Shizuka, you should stay on the blimp." Joey said.

"No! We're a team! And there's no way you're going out there without me." Shizuka protested.

"Joey, she's probably better off with us anyways. That creep Marik is back at the ship." Honda reminded Joey.

"Noa! What do you want with us?" Yugi called out.

"It'll all be made clear in time." Noa said. "Kaiba, your associates are eager you."

They all walked into a huge empty hold. Once the door closed behind them, a bright light came on, and five men in suits stood in front of them.

It was the Big 5. They were the former Kaiba Corporation board of directors who tried to take over the company by trapping Kaiba in his virtual reality game.

"I don't get it!" Mokuba said. "In Seto's virtual world, when they lost the game, they were imprisoned in the game!"

"We wandered cyberspace for what seemed like an eternity." They 5 men said. "Until Noa hacked into the Kaiba Corp. mainframe. Once we discovered that we shared a common enemy, Noa uploaded our minds to his system."

"I've defeated you all once, and I'll do it again!" Kaiba said.

"You'll have your chance. With Noa's help, we've devised a new game! A virtual Duel Monsters tournament! Everyone here will participate." The Big 5 said.

"Why do you want to duel us?" Yugi asked.

"Our minds have been trapped in the virtual world for so long, we've lost our bodies. But if we defeated you all, we will take over your bodies and return to the real world." One of the Big 5 explained.

"HEY! NO ONE is taking over my body again!" Joey yelled at them.

"It's time to pay a visit to the dueling arena." One of the Big 5 said before everything turned virtual.

Everyone found themselves in a jungle.

"It's virtual." Kaiba muttered.

"Are you sure? This place seems to real to be virtual." Honda said.

"I don't like the sound of this." Mokuba said, worried.

After he said that, a huge dinosaur appeared from behind the trees.

Joey began to panic.

"E-everyone! D-D-Don't panic!" He stuttered.

Kaiba stood where he was, staring at the dinosaur as it loomed over him.

Everyone screamed and ran as it's claws slashed down at Kaiba and passed right through him, leaving him untouched.

"Noa can't intimidate me. I was writing better virtual reality programs when that kid was still in diapers." Kaiba said.

Anzu reached out to touch a flower, but her hand went right through it. Pausing, she looked up and spotted another Kaiba! This one was in the blue coat and outfit he wore at Duelist Kingdom. Anzu freaked out.

"Relax." Kaiba said. "It's a cheap copy. I used to create virtual clones of myself all the time to duel against."

"Why would you duel yourself?" Duke asked.

"Who better?" Kaiba said.

The virtual Kaiba faced off with a life-sized Duel Monster, Total Defense Shogun, which stepped out of the trees.

"It's time to demonstrate the new rules of our tournament, the Deck Master system." One of the Big 5 said with a bodiless voice. "Virtual Kaiba's Deck Master will be the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, while Total Defense Shogun will act as his own Deck Master."

Virtual Kaiba then summoned Lord of Dragons, then played Flute of Summoning Dragon. It allowed him to summon two Blue-Eyes White Dragons to the field. He then moved his Deck Master onto the field, giving him three Blue-Eyes White Dragons.

Virtual Kaiba then played Polymerization to fuse the three Blue-Eyes into the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"Due to the Deck Master Blue-Eyes' special ability, this monster can attack immediately." One of the Big 5 continued to explain.

Virtual Kaiba attacked Total Defense Shogun with the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, but Total Defense Shogun had it's own special ability. Total Defense Barrier.

It reflected the attack back, destroying the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and Virtual Kaiba.

"If a player's Deck Master is destroyed, the player automatically loses the duel, regardless of life points." The Big 5 continued. "And when one of you lose a duel, one of us will take over his or her body."

"I don't care, I'll still take you down!" Kaiba said as the virtual world dissolved around everyone. They were back where they were before.

"You're trapped." One of the Big 5 said. "The only chance of escape is to defeat all of us in a virtual duel."

"That's low!" Mokuba yelled.

"Yeah! Besides! I can take you down any day!" Joey shouted. "I promise Shizuka, we'll win."

"If we stick together, the Big 5 won't have a chance." Yugi said.

Duke and Honda nodded.

"But no one said which of us will actually had to duel." Anzu said.

"You all will." The Big 5 said before they laughed. "The first five to lose will give up their bodies, and your minds will remain trapped for all eternity! Your chances of survival are zero! It's only a matter of time before we're freed from our virtual prison!"

"Regardless of what you say, I'll still defeat you!" Kaiba said.

"Yeah! We're gonna take you all down!" Joey threatened.

But right when he said that, a hole under Joey appeared and he fell through!

"Joey!" Shizuka cried.

Before anyone could get to Joey's aid, the hole closed up! And Joey was gone.

"Before the dueling begins, we plan to separate you all!" One of the Big 5 said.

Another hole opened up beneath Cat and Anzu's feet causing them to fall through as the two girls cried out.

"Cat! Anzu!" Yugi cried and tried to go to their aid. But they were already gone.

Next a hole opened up beneath Shizuka. And when Honda and Duke ran to her, the hole opened wider and all three of them fell through.

"Seto! Kay!" Mokuba cried as he tried to run to them, but a hole opened up beneath them as well, taking all three of them.

And finally a hole opened up under Yugi, and he fell through too.

Everyone fell through a vortex of colored light, screaming.

Mokuba clung onto Kaiba.

"Don't worry Mokuba, Kay. They'll pay for this." He said.

Joey was the first to wake up. He was lying on the ground outside a huge mansion.

"Wha?" He asked. "Where am I?"

Cat and Anzu woke up in a rugged canyon.

"Anzu…where are we?" Cat asked, a hint of fear in her voice.

"I wish I knew." Anzu replied, looking around.

Shizuka woke up on the shore of a quite lake while Duke and Honda woke up in a long wood-paneled hallway.

"Where are we?" Duke asked.

"Where's Shizuka?" Honda asked.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba laid on a pathway in the middle of a forest.

Mokuba was the first to wake up.

"Seto? Kay? Are you guys alright?" He asked.

Noa sat in a high-tech looking chair, watching everyone on many different projected screens surrounding him.

"I have them right where I want them. Each one isolated in my virtual world." He said with a smirk. "I wonder who should be the first to suffer? Who better than the infamous Yugi Muto!"

Yugi stood on the shore of a large pond in the middle of a forest.

"It all seems so real." He said to himself.

Just then, a creature rose from the pond. It was one of the Big 5 in the body of a Duel Monster.

"I'm Gansley, former Vice President of Business Strategy at Kaiba Corp." The man introduced himself. "I have taken the form of Deep Sea Warrior."

Yugi didn't look impressed. "You're nothing but a feeble old man who wouldn't stand a chance in a duel against me! Even if your life depended on it!"

"Remember the rules? My life and your life do depend on it. If I win, I'll take over your body and return to the real world! I can't wait to be young again! Although I'll have to change that haircut." Gansley said.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit form.

"This is bad. The Big 5 will also target Cat, Shizuka and Anzu." He said.

"Yeah. There's no reason to have a duel like this, but we have to beat him and go find everyone." Yugi agreed.

The two merged and Yami took over.

"You won't succeed." Yami said to Gansley.

"Don't forget the new rules. We must each pick a monster to serve as our Deck Master." Gansley reminded him. "I will be my own Deck Master, the Deep Sea Warrior. Now you must choose a virtual deck."

Cards suddenly appeared in front of Yami.

He started to create his deck.

"You must touch the ones you want." Gansley said. "Next you must choose your Deck Master. Each monster has it's own special Deck Master abilities. But I'm not going to tell you what they are. You'll have to figure them out for yourself."

Yami looked at his cards, wondering which card he was going to choose.

"Without knowing all the rules of this new system, it's hard to say." Yami mummered to himself quietly. "But my Dark Magician has never let me down."

Yami was about to choose the Dark Magician until Kuriboh peered out of the card next to it, waving it's little claw and making Kuriboh noises.

Suddenly, Kuriboh popped out of its card, bobbing around in front of Yami.

"Interesting choice." Gansley said.

"But I didn't choose Kuriboh!" Yami protested.

Kuriboh snuggled against Yami's cheek.

"Once a Deck Master has been chosen, it can't be changed." Gansley said.

Yami brushed Kuriboh off.

"I didn't choose you, but now we must win this together." Yami said to Kuriboh.

Kuriboh then put on a fierce face and took up his position at Yami's side.

The duel was about to begin.

Shizuka stood on the dock of the lake, watching swans swim around on the lake.

"This place might not be so bad after all." Shizuka said as the breeze blew in her hair.

When one of the swans took flight, it splashed water onto her.

Kneeling down, Shizuka put her hand in the water.

"I wonder how I can feel anything since everything here is a virtual illusion. It feels so real!" She exclaimed to herself.

Suddenly, dark clouds began to move in.

Shizuka looked up at the dark clouds.

"I don't want to be alone anymore." She said quickly to herself. "I have to find Joey!"

Joey was walking down a broad stairway inside the mansion.

"How did I get here?" He asked himself. "The last thing I remember is scaring the Big 5."

Joey then got frustrated.

"HEY! BIG 5! C'MON AND FACE ME! I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON ANYDAY!" He shouted.

He suddenly whirled around, thinking someone was behind him, but it was only a suit of armor.

Joey looked embarrassed.

"Hey! What are you lookin' at?!" He asked the suit of armor.

Honda and Duke ran down the hallway they woke up in.

They were still searching for Shizuka.

"All this running is getting us nowhere." Duke pointed out.

"I'm not stopping until I find Shizuka!" Honda said, continuing to run with Duke behind him.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba walked down a path through the woods.

"I know the Big 5 want to use us to escape the virtual world, but what about Noa?" Mokuba asked. "Who is he and what does he want?"

"You know, Mokie, I was just wondering about the same thing." Kay said.

"I don't know what's up with this Noa kid." Kaiba said. "My only guess is, is that he wants what's mine. Just like everyone else! What's bothering me is how Noa built this virtual universe! There's no way he could have done it on his own!"

"Maybe the Big 5 helped him?" Kay suggested.

"They couldn't pull this off. Someone else is involved and I'll find them!" Kaiba said.

Mokuba nodded in agreement.

Honda and Duke finally stopped running and took a break, gasping for breath.

"We need a new plan." Honda said.

"This hallway was obviously built to go on forever!" Duke said.

"Well if there's no exit, we'll make one!" Honda said before taking an axe from a suit of armor in the hallway.

He swung and smashed the axe against the wall.

Cat and Anzu wandered through the through the canyon.

"We should find the others as soon as possible." Anzu said.

Cat stopped.

"Wait! Anzu! Did you hear something?" She asked.

Anzu and Cat both turned to find a monster on the hillside. The hills were suddenly crawling with monsters.

Both of the girls took a step back, but one of them stepped on a loose rock, alerting the monsters of their presence.

They began to attack!

One of them threw a weapon at them, but missed landing next to them, kick up some rocks. One hit Cat in the face, leaving a small cut on her face.

Cat and Anzu tried to run, but suddenly a Hitotsume Giant loomed before them!

Both girls screamed.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba were still walking along the path.

"Hey look!" Kay exclaimed pointing ahead.

Mokuba ran up to the area Kay was pointing. There was a door!

"Maybe it's an emergency exit back to the real world!" Mokuba said.

Kaiba ran after him.

"Mokuba, stop!" He cried.

But Mokuba had already opened the door. All there was, was bright light.

It finally faded and they all saw a large building surrounded by an iron gate.

"I remember this place." Mokuba said. "It's the orphanage where we grew up! I didn't know it was still around."

"That was where you two grew up?" Kay asked.

"It's a trick." Kaiba said. "A cheap virtual illusion, like everything else. But how did Noa find out we once lived there?"

Noa continued to watch everyone from his command station.

"I'm glad I hired Gansley to do my dirty work." He said before checking on everyone else.

Shizuka and Joey were still wandering alone in their parts of the virtual world.

Cat and Anzu were being carried off by the Hitotsume Giants.

Duke and Honda were both trying to break through the wall of the endless hallway with axes.

And Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba were looking at the Kaiba brother's past.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba had just watched a re-play of Kaiba and Mokuba's past with their stepfather Gozaburo.

They were in the past themselves, in a classroom.

Mokuba was getting upset, wishing that things were the way they used to be before Kaiba defeated Gozaburo.

He then ran for the door of the classroom.

"Mokuba! Get back here!" Kaiba ordered.

"I liked the way it was before!" Mokuba cried. "At least back then, you actually smiled once in a while!"

"Mokuba…" Kay said sadly.

"Get a grip, Mokuba. Noa's using these illusions to turn us against each other." Kaiba said.

Mokuba ignored what he said and opened the door and steps in. But he fell. Beyond the door, there was nothing but a huge chasm.

Kay and Kaiba both caught Mokuba's arm just in time.

Honda and Duke were still chopping away at the wall of the hallway when they finally broke through onto a high deck outside the castle walls.

"We're still trapped. A hundred feet in the air outside some virtual castle in the middle of nowhere!" Duke exclaimed.

"At least we're outside. So quite complaining and let's go find-" Honda was cut off by a scream.

Shizuka was running from a dinosaur on the grounds below them.

Honda quickly took action and leaped onto the dinosaur's back, covering its eyes. Duke also hopped down to lead Shizuka to safety.

The dinosaur ran wild and charged into the lake with Honda still on its back.

Honda emerged from the lake to find Shizuka thanking Duke.

"Thanks for being so brave." Shizuka said to Duke with a smile.

Honda became frustrated.

The Hitotsume Giants dropped Cat and Anzu on the ground in a cave. Their single red eyes glowing.

After a while, Cat and Anzu woke up to drops of water falling on their faces.

They were both lying on a rock shelf at the bottom of a huge pit with the Hitotsume Giants below them.

"Ugh…why does my face hurt?" Cat whispered rubbing her face where the rock hit her.

"I don't get it. Remember that time I tried to touch that flower, but my hand went through it?" Anzu whispered. "This world is supposed to be all an illusion. But now it feels a little too real."

Cat and Anzu forced themselves onto their hands and knees.

"We need to hang on. So does everyone else." Anzu said.

"Hang on guys…wherever you are." Cat said.

Joey continued to wander around the castle.

"HEY! BIG 5! C'MON OUT AND SHOW YOURSELVES!" He continued to shout.

Cat and Anzu looked down.

The Hitotsume Giants were boiling a cauldron of water.

"We'd better get out of here before we become "Anzu and Cat soup"!" Anzu said.

"But how are we going to get out of the pit?" Cat asked.

As if her answer, a thick vine was thrown down to them. They both looked up to see a penguin waving down at them.

"Well…that's not…"natural"…" Cat said.

Kay and Kaiba were still holding onto Mokuba.

The doorway Mokuba stepped through led to a sharp cliff face, with crashing waters far below.

Kay and Kaiba pulled Mokuba up and they found themselves perched on top of a cliff above the sea.

"This place is more dangerous than I thought." Kaiba said. "Somehow, Noa's accessed virtual software that can replicate the sensation of touch. He won't get away with this!"

"I thought we had the latest virtual software." Mokuba said. "But this place feels way more real. If you guys didn't catch me, I don't know what would have happened. Thank you guys." He was tearful.

"Noa doesn't know who he's up against." Kay said.

"Mokuba, no matter what we see, you must realize that the past is over." Kaiba said to Mokuba. "I may not be proud of every decision I've made, but everything I did, I did for you and myself. So we'd have a better life. Now we must move forward and not look back."

And with that, the three walked away from the cliff.

Cat and Anzu climbed the vine.

"I wonder who's saving us?" Anzu wondered.

"Didn't you see the penguin? I still think that's odd." Cat said.

Just then, the Hitotsume Giants spotted them and began shaking their clubs at them.

"Climb faster!" Cat cried in fear.

They were both able to climb out of the pit, but they soon realized that the Hitotsume Giants were following after them!

They ran as fast as they could, but the two girls soon came to a cliff.

Only a rickety-looking rope and a log bridge crossed the chasm.

"I don't like the looks of this." Anzu said.

"But there's no other way to escape." Cat said.

They stepped onto the bridge carefully and they were only halfway across when the Hitotsume Giants stepped onto the bridge.

But as soon as they got on it, the bridge gave out under their weight!

Cat and Anzu held on as the bridge snapped. They cling to the side of the bridge and managed to climb what was left of the bridge to the other side of the chasm.

Yami had finally finished the duel. He had won.

He had found out that the duels could really hurt you!

Noa sat in his control center.

"Yugi is stronger than I thought." He said. "Or perhaps the Big 5 don't have the dueling skills they claimed to have. I'll just have to see how the others fare in the coming duels."

A door appeared near Yami and Yugi.

"I hope that leads us to some of our friends." Yami said before they entered, the door closing behind them.

Yugi had taken over and he ran down a dark hallway, finally stopping for breath.

"Does this passageway ever end?" Yugi wondered out loud.

Yami was next to him in spirit.

"It might. But only when Noa wants it to." He said.

"We'll find our friends no matter what!" Yugi said.

Noa continued watching everyone.

"I have another destination in mind for you, Yugi." He said before operating some controls from the keyboard on the arm of his chair.

Yugi was suddenly sucked into a vortex of light.

Noa suddenly was contacted by one of the Big 5 after this.

"Noa, I'll take on the next victim to make up for Gansley's defeat." The man said.

"Yes, I've already chosen your next opponent. Choose one out of the two girls, Cat or Anzu. Either way, they shouldn't be too difficult to defeat them. It's up to you, Crump." Noa said.

Cat and Anzu finally climbed out of the chasm and collapsed on the ground to rest. Both exhausted and fell asleep for a little while.

Anzu was having a dream of her own. So was Cat.

Cat opened her eyes and the area around her was so familiar. But everything, the whole area, was covered in a thick fog.

"Where am I again?" She asked herself before it finally hit her. Although it took her a moment to see through the fog. "W-wait! I'm home again? So then…that whole adventure? All those new friends? Being trapped in a virtual world? It was all just a dream?"

Cat sighed.

"I'm kind of glad…although keeping the friends might have been nice." She said. "Well…I guess I should get back to normal life, now that the dream is over. I don't usually get dreams like that. Weird. I should write it down."

"That wasn't a dream. This, right here, right now, is the dream." A familiar voice said.

Cat whirled around in shock.

"Who said that?!" She gasped.

Cat was even more shocked to find Yami standing behind her.

"P-Pharaoh? What are you doing here? This is my home." She exclaimed.

"As I said before, I'm afraid this whole thing right now, is only a dream. You aren't really home. You really are still trapped in the virtual world like the rest of us." Yami explained.

"What? So…I see. It wasn't a dream." Cat said softly, slowing realizing the situation.

Yami nodded.

"And there's probably going to be a time, real soon where you're going to have to duel one of the Big 5. Even though I really hope you won't run into one of them before you run into me or another one of our friends. They are advanced duelists and even I found them somewhat challenging." He explained. "But if you do run into one of them you may have to duel. Anzu isn't as experienced in dueling as you are and is a little slow in learning the game. You learned things fairly quickly and are a bit more experienced than her. If you do end up running into one of the Big 5, you may be your only hope for you two."

Cat looked uneasy.

"That's not a comforting thought." She said.

Yami sighed.

"I know. If I could choose I won't have you having to duel any of the Big 5. But I have faith that if you do end up running into one of them, you'll know what to do." He said. "And might I suggest…" Yami pulled out a card from his deck and showed it to Cat.

"The Dark Magician Girl?" Cat asked.

Yami nodded once.

"Yes. It's only a suggestion, but if you do have to duel, she might be useful as a Deck Master. Besides, she's the one who brought you to us, right? She seems to know more about why you're here than any of us." He said before handing the card to Cat.

Cat smiled shyly and accepted it.

"You're right. Thank you." She said. "I'll be my best!"

Yami smiled.

"I know you will."

"Cat! Wake up!"

Cat slowly opened her eyes to find Anzu shaking her.

"Wha?" Cat asked sitting up.

"The penguin that saved us woke me up. He wants us to follow him." Anzu said.

Cat raised an eyebrow.

"Still weird. But okay." She said before standing up and brushing herself off.

Anzu and Cat then followed the penguin along the ledge and through a jungle, past a giant snake, and to a log raft tied to a dock at the edge of a harbor.

The penguin lead Cat and Anzu onto the raft with several other penguins.

As the raft headed off, other penguins waved goodbye.

"Okay..." Cat mummered under her breath. "No matter what happens...this will always be weird."


	17. Cat VS Crump

The raft moved along for a while, both Cat and Anzu kept quiet.

All of the sudden, all the penguins that were on the raft, dove off into the water, leaving the two girls alone on the raft.

"Why do you suppose they did that?" Cat asked.

Anzu shrugged.

They were beginning to approach cliffs at the water's edge.

There were hundreds of penguins lined up, watching them.

The raft finally came aground the shore. In front of the two girls was a castle on a hillside with a long switch backed stairway leading up to it.

The two girls got off the raft and noted that it must have been some sort of penguin empire! For there was penguins and statues of penguins everywhere!

The two climbed the stairway to the castle's entry hall, where they were surrounded by penguins.

"Is anyone there?" Cat called out.

"Welcome you two." A male voice said. "Mazaki Anzu, sixteen years old. Tsuru Cat, fifteen and a half years old. I know all about you two and I'm about to put the freeze on one of ya!"

The penguins that surrounded the two parted and a large penguin dressed in a coat, tie and top hat appeared, sitting on a table.

"My name is Crump, one of the Big 5, former accountant at Kaiba Corp." He introduced himself. "According to my calculations, there's a 100 chance that one of you are going to duel me. Anzu has dueled five times in her life. Cat has dueled an unknown number. Interesting. Facts and figures are my job. I need to know everything about you two, so when I take over one of your bodies, I'll be ready to live as one of you!"

"We've heard enough!" Anzu said before turning away with Cat to leave, but then, the virtual world suddenly changed around them and they're both stuck on an iceberg that rose up out of the ocean. Crump was across from them on another iceberg.

"So, which one of you will be dueling me?" Crump asked.

"Cat, I can try to take him on if you don't want to." Anzu said.

Cat shook her head, remembering her dream.

"No…it's alright Anzu. I can do this." She said.

"Alright. Be sure to beat that creep so we can get out of here and find our friends!" Anzu said taking a step back.

Cat nodded once and turned to Crump.

"Crump, I'll take you on!" She said.

"Fine by me." Crump said.

A duel disk then appeared on Cat's arm and virtual cards scrolled in front of her. Cat frowned, focusing on what she should choose, trying to keep it as close to her personal deck as possible.

"Now you must choose your Deck Master." Crump said once Cat was finished.

"I'll pick the Dark Magician Girl." Cat said.

"I have taken the form of Nightmare Penguin! And I will act as my own Deck Master." Crump said.

"Alright then!" Cat said as she activated her duel disk. "It's time to duel!"

Yugi and Yami found themselves in a small room with four doors.

Yugi looked around for a moment before heading towards one of them.

"Yugi, stop! We have to test the doors for traps first." Yami warned Yugi.

"Okay." Yugi said and tossed a coin at one of the doors and a monster suddenly formed in a doorway, bouncing the coin back at them.

"Testing the doors is definitely smart!" Yugi said.

"We may have won our duel, but a whole new game has begun." Yami said.

The duel between Cat and Crump had begun.

But Cat had taken a hit on her life points. Suddenly ice formed around Cat's feet.

"Wha? What is this?!" Cat exclaimed looking down at her feet.

"As we lose life points, we'll become encased in ice. So that when you lose, you'll be in a solid block of ice." Crump explained.

Cat hugged herself and rubbed her arms.

"I-It's cold! I'm sensitive to the cold!" She exclaimed.

"Yugi! Did you hear that?" Yami asked.

"Yeah! That sounded like Cat!" Yugi exclaimed. "It sounds like she may be in trouble! C'mon!"

Yugi then ran toward one of the doors, desperate to find his friend. But the door monster suddenly bounced him back.

Yami walked over and helped Yugi up.

"We don't have any time to panic if we want to help Cat." Yami said and pointed to a star above the door. "Look."

Yugi stood up.

"Oh! I get it! That star represents the level of the monster hiding behind the door!" He said and summoned Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress to attack the monster.

The monster was easily distroyed.

Yami and Yugi walked through the doorway.

"You're not really dressed for this weather, are you?" Crump taunted Cat.

Cat was only in a blue zip-up tangtop with a turtleneck, her cartouche, jeans, and sneakers.

Cat only frowned at him.

Crump drew.

"Your Deck Master isn't much of a threat on her own. But if you added other cards to her, she could become dangerous." He said.

"I'm not surprised." Cat mummered.

Crump then laughed at her.

"You're an amateur for not choosing a strategy when you picked your cards!" He said. "I'm not afraid of Dark Magician Girl! But if Dark Magician is played alongside her, I'll be in trouble. You're pathetic for not choosing Dark Magician for your deck master! Dark Magician Girl without Dark Magician is like curry without pickles!"

Cat and the Dark Magician Girl both glared at Crump.

Things were starting to look bad for Cat.

Her hand was shaking a lot.

Dark Magician Girl put her hand over Cat's.

"My deck master ability allows us to communicate mentally. I know you probably still have some questions as to why I brought you here, but now is not the time to ask them. Let's do our best." She said.

Cat stared at the Dark Magician Girl for a moment before smiling bravely. "Okay!" She said.

The duel had continued on. Cat was able to get some ice around Crump's feet, but the ice had rose up to her knees.

Yugi and Yami ran into a room just like the one they left.

The two heard Cat's voice again.

"We have to find her right now." Yami said. "But there's the coin you threw at the door from before! We've been running in circles and we're now back where we started!"

"The game looks pretty easy; the stars above each door represent the level of the monster hiding behind it. Beat the monster and go through the door." Yugi said.

"But we're missing something." Yami said.

"Maybe we're supposed to go through the doors in order! First the one star door, then two and so on." Yugi suggested. "The reason we haven't been getting anywhere is that we always chose the one star door."

Yugi then summoned Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and challenged the monster behind the two star door, destroying it.

The two then ran through the door to look for Cat.

Cat shivered. "I can't feel my toes…" She mummered to herself.

"Be strong, Cat." Dark Magician Girl said. "Please, let me go onto the field."

"I can't let you do that. If you get destroyed, then I'll lose the duel." Cat said.

"She's right you know. Without the Dark Magician, the Dark Magician Girl is just like a little doll that can't help anything." Crump said.

The Dark Magician Girl became annoyed.

"Don't worry Dark Magician Girl. Someday we'll need your power." Cat said.

Yugi and Yami continued running down the virtual hallway. The stopped when they heard Cat's voice in distress again.

"We're getting closer. Her voice is louder." Yami said.

They ran on, thinking to themselves that they had to defeat more of Noa's monsters and get through the maze and find Cat before it was too late!

They reached the room with four doors again and Yugi looked for the three-star door, summoning Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight. He ordered it to attack.

"Yugi! Wait a moment!" Yami cried, but it was too late.

Gaia's attack reflected back at him, destroying him.

"There are three face-down cards on the door under the stars. They're trap cards, one of which disappears now that it's been used." Yami pointed out.

"It must have been Mirror Force." Yugi said before summoning Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts.

A monster came to the doorway.

"That's Dark King of the Abyss." Yami said, recognizing it.

Gazelle's attack was stronger, but one of the trap cards made Dark King of the Abyss stronger.

Yugi then summoned Berformet and used Polymerization to fuse it with Gazelle. It turned into Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, which destroyed the Dark King.

They ran through the new doorway.

The maze lead them back into the room and he quickly found the four-star door.

"Be careful Yugi. There are five facedown cards and you're running low on cards. You'd better choose wisely." Yami said.

Yugi drew the Dark Magician, thinking it ought to do the job.

"Don't play it yet." Yami warned Yugi.

Yugi got the idea and played Heavy Storm, which destroyed all magic and traps cards.

The five facedown cards disappeared.

The level four monster stood alone.

Yugi then summoned Ladybug of Doom, which its effect destroys all level four monsters. The last door was open.

They ran through and found themselves in a room of ice.

They could see Cat dueling and Anzu behind her. But they couldn't reach them.

"I don't think they'll be able to hear us from here." Yami said. "But I believe Cat can do this."

Cat was already encased in ice up to her armpits.

"Cat! There's one card in your deck that can save us!" Dark Magician Girl said.

Cat thought for a moment.

"Do you mean Sage's Stone?" She asked. "But that could be at the bottom of my deck for all I know!"

"I'll help you draw the card." The Dark Magician Girl said before she used her Deck Master ability to form a Soul Circle with four other monsters that were in Cat's graveyard. It allowed Cat to draw four more cards.

She drew four more and she gasped! The Sage's Stone was there! Quickly she played it.


	18. Judge Man

Yami had switched places with Yugi to see if he could do something about the brick wall. But no luck so far.

He was just about to give up until his Duel Disk began to glow.

"What's going on?" He asked, staring at his Duel Disk in surprise.

Suddenly the Dark Magician emerged from his deck in a ball of pink light.

The Dark Magician then blasted through the ice and flew to Cat, his card forming on her Duel Disk tray as he appeared on her field.

Cat blinked in surprise.

"I have no idea where he came from, but I'm not complaining!" She exclaimed.

"Wh-WHA?! My calculations assured me I would win this duel!" Crump cried. "This doesn't add up!"

"The Sage's Stone allows me to call forth a Dark Magician from any nearby player's deck." The Dark Magician Girl explained.

"A nearby deck?" Anzu repeated. "Cat! Maybe it was Yugi!"

"M-Maybe…" Cat shivered.

Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl then attacked together, wiping out Crump's life points.

The duel was over and Cat won. She was released from her ice prison and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

The first thing Cat saw when she woke up, was Yami kneeling beside her.

Anzu was there too.

Cat blinked a couple of times before gasping and suddenly hugging Yami.

"Thank you!" Cat cried joyfully.

Yami blinked in confusion.

"For…what?" He asked.

"In a dream I had…before I dueled Crump…You said you believed in me!" Cat said happily.

Yami was still confused. In a dream? Did she fall asleep before the duel? Yami didn't know what happened. But she was right. He DID believe in her, just like he did with all his other friends.

Yami chuckled.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you're safe. And great job with defeating Crump." He said with a smile.

Cat leaned back from the hug and smiled.

"Thanks!" She said.

Anzu was annoyed. She didn't appreciate the hug that Cat gave Yami.

Anzu thought Cat was a pretty okay friend, but this? Have they done something like this before? Were they having a secret relationship? Or did Cat suddenly get a crush on the Pharaoh because he saved her?

Whatever the reason was, if Cat was going to be like this…that meant war.

Noa watched the three from his control center.

"I'm just getting warmed up. They'll never escape my virtual universe!" He said to himself as he continued to watch Yami, Cat and Anzu. "I never should have hired the Big 5. How could they be out-dueled in a virtual world where I make all the rules? It's time for me to step in."

Noa received another call from another Big 5 member.

His name was Johnson.

"Master Noa, I apologize for the Big 5's failures so far." He said.

"You're all fired. Gansley and Crump have both suffered embarrassing defeats, and I have no reason to believe the rest of you won't fail." Noa said and was about to push the button to erase them.

"We've analyzed their attacks and come up with a solid dueling strategy that's guaranteed to succeed." Johnson said quickly.

"Fine. I'll give you another chance." Noa said, moving his hand away from the button.

"Thank you." Johnson said.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba were back in the woods.

Kaiba was trying to contact Kaiba Craft 3 on the radio transmitter in his coat lapel. But there was no answer.

"Noa must be trying to isolate us from outside contact." Kay said, looking annoyed.

"But that won't stop me." Kaiba said, frowning.

Joey was still wandering around alone, calling out random challenges to the Big 5. He finally got frustrated and kicked a wall.

Unexpectedly, the wall cracked open, revealing a double door behind it.

"Huh…maybe I should knock." Joey pondered. "Nah."

He kicked the door in and found that it led to the hanger where the airship was waiting.

"Whoa! I think I may have just found our ticket back to the real world!" Joey exclaimed and ran into it, and entered the blimp, but no one was inside.

Looking around, he noticed that Mai's door was open. He walked in to find her still lying unconscious on the bed.

Joey looked at her with determination, remembering Marik using the Millennium Rod on her to trap her mind.

"I promise Mai. I'll save you. You'll be dueling again in no time." Joey said to her.

Just then, her eyes opened!

Joey gasped. "Mai! Wha…I…I can't believe it! You're back!" He cried in amazement.

Without answering, Mai got out of bed and looked at Joey.

"Jounouchi. You should know that you can't believe anything you see." She said. But…it wasn't Mai.

"Who are you?" Joey asked.

Mai's form suddenly changed into Johnson, one of the Big 5.

"My card." He said holding out a card to Joey. "I am the former chief legal advisor for the Kaiba Corporation. My name is Johnson."

Joey frowned and slapped the card away.

"Save it!" Joey snapped.

"Your presence is requested at the trial of the century, so it's in your best interest to listen. I'm taking you to court so I can take your body." Johnson said. With that, he began to explain all the reasons as to why he was entitled to Joey's body.

"I've had it!" Joey snapped. "All this legal mumbo-jumbo is making me dizzy!"

"That means I'm doing my job." Johnson said.

"Talk is cheap!" Joey continued.

"Fine then. Take the stand." Johnson said.

"I thought we were going to duel!" Joey exclaimed.

"A Duel Monsters duel is like a trial." Johnson explained.

The room suddenly changed into a courtroom, with Johnson behind the judge's bench.

Joey looked at Johnson as he suddenly started to morph into his Deck Master, Judge Man.

"Choose your dueling deck from the virtual card database." Johnson, who was now Judge Man, said. "I've researched your games and I know exactly which cards you'll choose."

Joey ignored him and continued to choose his cards. Once he got them all, he chose Flame Swordsman to be his Deck Master.

"I will serve you well and guide you through the duel." The Flame Swordsman said to Joey.

And with that, the duel was on.

Yami, Cat and Anzu walked across the ice and snow, wishing for warmth.

Yami and Cat were busy chatting while Anzu walked behind them, looking irritated the whole way.

"Oh, so that's what your dream was." Yami said, after Cat explained the dream she had before the duel. "It sounds like you and Anzu had a tough time before the duel."

Cat laughed lightly. "A little. But we're okay. Thanks for your concern."

After that comment, the three continued to walk for a while in silence.

"So…Cat?" Yami asked.

"Yes?" Cat replied.

"I've been wondering for a little while, and we never seem to have a lot of time to just talk so…" Yami started. "What was your home really like? And your friends and family?"

Cat looked up in thought.

"My home is fairly peaceful. But pretty average. So average, it's boring." Cat started. "I'm an only child and I have my two parents. They're pretty cool. My High School is pretty boring. I've always been treated like I don't exist by almost everyone at the school. But luckily I have my friends. My friends are some of the best friends you could ever have. I love all of them."

Yami listened politely.

"Do you miss them?" He asked.

Cat looked down with a small smile.

"A little. I've actually felt homesick before. But, I'm all right. I'm with you and everyone else. You all are my newest friends. And I know that there's a possibly that I could have been taken to a different world or not. But either way, I want to help save the world. Because I want to fight for the ones I love and care about." She explained before looking at Yami and smiling. "Including all of you."

Yami smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it." He said.

Anzu was getting really upset.

"They're bonding! They're bonding!" She repeated to herself in her head over and over. "And possibly flirting!"

"Hey Cat? What about your voice?" Yami asked.

Cat blinked at him and placed her hand on her throat.

"My voice?" She repeated.

"You're singing voice." Yami said.

"Oh! That?" Cat asked. "Um, well, my mom did a lot of singing in her life. But she only did it for fun. I grew up singing along with her. She would give me tips and advice in singing. I started taking a couple of classes when I got into High School."

"So you were born with that natural talent?" Yami asked with a smile.

Cat giggled.

"I guess you could say that." She said with a weak smile.

"I think your voice is very beautiful." Yami said. "I wouldn't mind hearing you sing again."

Cat laughed, embarrassed.

"I'm not all that much." She laughed. "But maybe sometime…I don't usually like singing in front of people. Sometimes its even more embarrassing when you're singing to someone you know."

Yami shrugged.

"I suppose. But I would like to hear it again. And I don't think the rest of our friends have heard you yet." He said.

"Yeah." Cat said.

That was it. Anzu couldn't take much more of it. Anzu ran up next to Cat, to pretend she had a question.

"Hey Cat-" She started before she placed her foot in front of Cat's, causing Cat to trip. (Whoa! OOC maybe? Lol. Don't hurt me Anzu fans! hides )

With a yelp, Cat tumbled down the small hill of snow they were on. At the bottom, Cat came to a stop.

Anzu pretended to be surprised.

"Oh my gosh! Cat, are you all right? I'm SO sorry!" She cried.

Yami and Anzu made their way down to Cat.

Cat sat up on her knees and hugged herself.

"I-It's c-cold!" She shivered.

The other two finally reached Cat.

"Cat, I'm sorry!" Anzu apologized again.

"I-It's ok-kay." Cat shivered. "A-accidents…h-happen."

"You seem really cold." Yami pointed out to Cat.

"Y-Yeah…I'm in a sleeveless shirt and I-I'm really…s-sensitive to the c-cold." Cat explained.

Without saying anything, Yami took off his jacket and placed it on Cat's shoulders.

"There." He said. "Try to warm yourself up, okay?"

Cat looked surprised.

"B-but wait! I-I can't a-accept this. Y-you'll be cold!" She protested.

"I'm fine. I'm not that sensitive to the cold." Yami said standing up and helping Cat up. "Wrap it around you and warm yourself up."

Cat looked hesitant but did so.

"Okay. T-thank you. You're a lifesaver." Cat said softly before the three continued on.

Yami smiled at her.

"No problem."

Anzu's eyebrow twitched as she followed behind them again.

She wondered to herself briefly if that was a good idea or not.

Cat looked over her shoulder at Anzu.

"Hey, Anzu? You were going to tell me something before. What was it?" She asked.

"Huh?" Anzu asked snapping out of her thoughts. "Oh, well…I was just going to say that…w-we should probably hurry. I'm worried about Honda and Shizuka. They're not duelists. And if they lose a duel to the Big 5, they'll be trapped here."

"That's true." Cat agreed. "We'd better hurry."

Honda, Duke and Shizuka were in the woods at the time. Honda suddenly sneezed.

"That's what you get from swimming in the lake!" Duke scolded him. "Don't give your cold to Shizuka!"

"It's not a cold! Someone's talking behind my back." Honda protested.

"Lets just hope they found each other and are pulling together to get out of this place." Yami added in. "Shizuka doesn't even know the rules."

At this time, Shizuka sneezed as well because the three (Yami, Cat and Anzu.) were also talking about her behind her back.

"Way to go, Germ-boy! Now you got Shizuka sick!" Duke snapped at Honda.

Honda frowned and made threatening noises at Duke.

"You'd better stay away or you might catch my evil germs too!" He said sarcastically.

"I'm sure they're going to be just fine." Yami said.

"But even if they are together, they all are still in danger. The Big 5 aren't people to mess with." Cat said.

"Let's hurry." Anzu said.


	19. Robot Monkeys and Kidnappings

It wasn't long until the three found a door!

"A door? In the middle of this place?" Cat asked, raising her eyebrow in confusment.

"Maybe they'll have some warmth in there!" Anzu exclaimed and they eagerly ran through the door.

They found themselves in the same courtroom Joey was in!

Cat handed Yami his jacket back as he changed back into Yugi.

"Joey!" Yugi called.

Joey looked over his shoulder and was surprised to see them. He smiled.

"Hey guys!" He said happily.

"Good to see ya!" Yugi said as the other smiled.

Johnson then pounded his gavel. "Order!" He said loudly.

"I'm dueling one of the Big 5." Joey explained to the three.

"You three sit down, or I'll have you ejected from the courtroom!" Johnson said to Yugi, Cat and Anzu.

The three did as they were told.

"This doesn't look good. Joey has no monsters and it's Judge Man's turn." Yugi whispered to the two girls.

While this was happening, Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba had found another door. It led to a sandy beach at a sunset.

"Ah, isn't it romantic?" Kay joked.

"Well at least it's a change of scenery." Kaiba mummered.

Mokuba was upset, he stomped his feet on the ground.

"I don't want to be on a virtual beach, in a virtual forest, or even a virtual amusement park! I just want out of here!" He cried.

"Mokuba, calm down." Kay said.

The three started moving along again.

"Sorry for the outburst…" Mokuba apologized.

"Relax. If you get upset, you're letting Noa win." Kaiba said.

"He's right you know." Kay said to Mokuba.

"Noa! Show yourself! If you think you can wear us down by playing on our emotions, you obviously don't know who you're dealing with!" Kaiba shouted to the sky.

Kay sweatdropped and stared at Kaiba.

"You know Mokie…I don't think you're the only one who needs to stay calm." She said.

Noa smirked in his control center. He had hurt Kaiba's yell.

"I know exactly who I'm dealing with." He said. "A no good thief."

He then turned back to Joey's duel.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba continued walking along the beach until they stopped. There was a television set half-buried in the sand.

On it, there was Noa, in the courtroom.

"This is an odd place to have a T.V." Kay pointed out.

"Yeah, but there's Noa!" Mokuba added in.

"Stop the duel!" Noa said after he appeared in the courtroom.

"What? But I'm only a few moves away from taking this fool's body!" Johnson protested.

"You don't deserve that prize. You've been cheating." Noa said. "You used my virtual technology to tamper with Joey's dice rolls."

"I couldn't risk losing! I can't stand living in this virtual reality a minute longer!" Johnson protested.

"I'm bored with your excuses. I brought the Big 5 into my virtual world to help me defeat Seto Kaiba and his friends. But if you cheat, I can't prove I'm more deserving than Seto." Noa said.

The three on the beach continued watching the television set.

"I wonder what Noa thinks he's more deserving of?" Kay wondered out loud.

"For years, I've lived in Seto's shadow, always trying to prove that I'm the better one! I should be president of Kaiba Corporation! Not Seto! And it's time I proved to Gozaburo that he should have left the company to me!" Noa exclaimed.

Kaiba looked shocked.

"Gozaburo has been missing without a trace for more than five years! Why would Noa want to prove something to him anyways?" Kaiba exclaimed. "Who is this Noa?"

Kay looked at Mokuba.

"Gozaburo was your guys' step-father, right?" She asked.

Mokuba nodded.

Kay frowned.

"I really hate that guy." She muttered.

"Johnson! If you play by the rules, you could still win." Joey said. "If you-"

"This doesn't concern you." Noa interrupted. "I'm going to erase you Johnson."

"Hey! Didn't your mother ever teach you it's rude to interrupt others?! Don't stop the duel! I want to continue it!" Joey snapped at Noa.

Noa sighed.

"Fine." He said. "Continue."

And with that, Noa disappeared in a sparkle of light.

The duel continued.

Johnson finally lost.

"Way to go Joey!" Anzu cheered.

"Yeah! You did great!" Cat cried happily.

"Good job!" Yugi cheered.

Joey and Anzu did something of a high-five.

"Thanks guys. But we'd better go find the others." Joey said.

"That's true. The other members of the Big 2 could be dueling them right now." Yugi said.

Joey began to panic.

"Shizuka has never dueled before! We have to find her right now!" He cried before running for the door, with the other three following after him.

Honda, Shizuka and Duke stood in a meadow, enjoying the cool breeze.

"This virtual world has its good points." Honda said.

"Five creepy old guys wants to steal our bodies! What could be good about that?" Duke pointed out.

"Shut up!" Honda snapped. "You might scare Shizuka!"

"I'm not afraid." Shizuka said with a smile. "Because you make me feel safe."

The two boys stared at her for a moment.

"Shizuka you're really sweet." Honda said with a smile.

Duke frowned at him.

"Hey! I think she meant both of us!" Duke snapped.

"No, she only meant me!" Honda snapped back.

The two began in an another argument.

"C'mon guys. We need to work together to get out of here." Shizuka said, trying to clam them down.

The two boys stopped.

"Okay…so the Big 5 need five bodies. So they won't just be after Kaiba, Yugi and Joey. They might also want to duel us." Duke pointed out.

"So what?" Honda asked.

"That's right. We'll be fine if we stick with Honda." Shizuka agreed. "Honda taught Joey how to play Duel Monsters."

Duke looked at Honda suspiciously.

"Honda, what have you been telling the poor girl?" He asked before Honda quickly slapped a hand over Duke's mouth.

"Defeating the Big 5 will be a walk in the park!" Honda said to Shizuka nervously.

The four, Yugi, Cat, Joey and Anzu, walked through some underground caverns.

"The good news is that we've each defeated one of the Big 5. Three down, and two to go." Cat said.

"But the bad news is that we don't know where they'll strike next." Yugi added in.

Joey suddenly looked determined and started to run.

"Don't worry Shizuka! I'm coming!" He called.

"JOEY!" The other three shouted before following him.

Duke, Honda and Shizuka came to a door.

"Be careful." Honda said hesitantly. "We don't know what's behind it."

"But it might lead to the real world." Shizuka said and opened the door.

They suddenly found themselves in what seemed to be the fortress' hanger, but the blimp wasn't there.

"Are we in the real world?" Shizuka asked.

"I don't think so." Duke said as a huge robot suddenly floated to the floor before them.

"My name is Nesbitt." The robot introduced himself. "I'm the former Vice President of New Technology at Kaiba Corporation. I am one of the Big 5 and I'm now taking the form of the Robotic Knight. As the tech expert of the Big 5, I've designed some of Kaiba Corp's most advanced machinery, and as soon as I defeat one of you, I'll be able to continue my work in the real world. Ladies first, of course."

He was looking at Shizuka to duel against.

"But, I've never dueled before." Shizuka protested.

"If you want to duel someone, duel me!" Honda said to Nesbitt.

"No, I'll fight him. You don't know what you're getting into Honda." Duke said.

"I have chosen the female." Nesbitt said.

"I'm dueling!" Honda insisted.

"I can't let you or Shizuka duel alone!" Duke protested. "I'm the most experienced duelists here! And I'm the only one who has a chance of beating this guy! But if you want to duel so much, Honda, then why don't we duel together?"

"I have a better idea." Nesbitt said. "I'll duel all three of you. Then when I win, I'll take control of all of your bodies! I'll prove once and for all that machines are more powerful than people!"

"No! Me and Duke will be the only ones to duel!" Honda insisted.

"Honda…we're all in this together. I'll duel too." Shizuka said. "I'll just follow your lead!"

Duel Disks then appeared on their arms.

"Shizuka, please don't do this." Honda said, trying to talk her out of dueling. "It's been a while since I last dueled."

"It's okay Honda." Shizuka said, determined.

The virtual cards appeared before them and they chose their decks.

"What should I do?" Shizuka asked.

"Trust your instincts. Also choose a balance of magic, trap, and monster cards for your deck." Honda explained.

Duke chose Strike Ninja for his Deck Master.

Shizuka chose Goddess with the Third Eye as her Deck Master.

And Honda chose Super Roboyarou as his Deck Master.

Suddenly, the floor between the three and Nesbitt slid open, revealing a burning abyss below them.

"It's a sea of radioactive waste. If you play by the rules, you won't fall in." Nesbitt explained. "One rule I intend to strictly enforce is that you're not allowed to discuss strategies with one another."

"Honda, how can I duel without your advice?" Shizuka asked.

"Just believe in yourself." Honda said.

The Kaiba brothers and Kay were now walking through a sandy desert, when they saw ruins in the distance.

"That's Nesbitt's old research lab." Kaiba said, recognizing it. "I've always hated that place."

"Do you think anyone would be in there?" Kay asked.

"I don't know." Mokuba said.

The three were doing well against Nesbitt until…Honda lost!

"Honda!" Duke and Shizuka cried.

"Shizuka…I have a confession to make. I lied about teaching Joey how to duel. I bearly know how to play myself." Honda confessed to Shizuka sadly before turning to Duke. "You'd better take care of her!"

Suddenly the floor beneath Honda opened up and Honda fell into the fire.

"Honda! No! Come back!" Shizuka cried, falling to her knees. "Nesbitt, you said we'd only fall in if we broke the rules!"

"Don't worry. Your friend's mind has been digitized, while his body has been placed in a holding area where your and Duke's will soon join it!" Nesbitt said.

Anzu, Cat, Joey and Yugi heard Shizuka call out in anguish.

"Don't worry Joey. We'll make sure she's okay." Yugi said.

But Joey ran toward the voice.

The floor closed up over the fire where Honda fell.

Shizuka cried.

"It's all my fault." She sobbed.

"Not your fault Shizuka. Stay strong!" Duke said, trying to encourage her.

"Honda lost trying to protect me!" Shizuka cried.

Duke tried to go over to her, but Nesbitt stopped him.

"The duel isn't over. And it's the girl's turn." Nesbitt said.

But Shizuka was too distraught to continue the duel.

One of Nesbitt's monsters wasn't helping.

"You're just a weak little girl! You can't duel without Honda standing beside you!" He taunted.

"Don't listen, Shizuka!" Duke said.

Shizuka was crouched on her knees, covering her ears.

"Shizuka, we might be able to bring Honda back if you get up and duel!" Duke said.

But Shizuka didn't answer.

Duke sighed.

"We'll skip her turn and I'll go!" Duke said to Nesbitt.

The four were still running through the caverns.

"Joey, do you have the slightest idea where you're going?" Cat asked.

"I doubt it." Anzu said.

"But at this point, Joey's guess is as good as ours!" Yugi added in.

They suddenly saw a bright light and ran through it. They ended up on the upper level of the hanger where Shizuka and Duke were. At this time, Shizuka had recovered and was back in the duel.

"Hey! Shizuka! Duke!" Joey called to them.

"Joey! Everyone!" Shizuka called.

"Hey guys!" Duke called.

"Where's Honda?" Cat asked. "Wasn't he with you, Duke?"

Duke suddenly looked sad.

"Honda lost the duel." He said.

Everyone was shocked.

Anzu sank to her knees while Joey pounded his fist against the railing.

Cat and Yugi both looked sad.

"Honda lost trying to protect me!" Shizuka said.

"They need help!" Yugi said. "Joey, why don't you take Honda's place in the duel?"

"I won't allow it! This duel's already in progress." Machine King said.

"Shizuka! Don't give up!" Joey called.

They had finally won the duel.

Duke and Shizuka fell to their knees.

They won…but Honda was still gone. The four ran down to them.

Joey hugged Shizuka while the others tried to support Duke.

"We're all back together. All we need now is Honda." Anzu said.

In another room, a robot monkey's face lit up as it came online.

"Where am I?"

It was Honda in the robot monkey's body!

Honda them climbed up through a trap door into a storeroom filled with boxes, metal capsules and electronic equipment.

"Where am I, and why is everyone so huge?" Honda wondered to himself.

He passed by a mirror and looked at it.

"Aw, that's a cute monkey." He said before pausing. "Wait…that monkey is ME!" He freaked out.

The six were outside a warehouse.

"I hope Honda's okay." Shizuka said, worried.

"Don't worry. We just have to find him before one of the Big 5 take over his body." Yugi said.

"Yeah! We just have to get him back now." Joey agreed.

Not too far off, Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba were among the warehouses.

They spotted someone running along a rooftop. They followed them.

"That looks like Honda!" Kay cried.

"Honda!" Mokuba called. "Where are Yugi and the others?"

Honda then jumped down and swung a wooden sword at Mokuba.

"Look out!" Kay cried and grabbed Mokuba, bearly dodging the wooden sword. "That's not Honda!"

The Honda impostor then attacked Kaiba, who leaped out of the way and threw a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card towards the fake Honda.

The impostor blocked the card with his wooden sword.

Yugi, Joey, Cat, Shizuka, Anzu and Duke noticed the commotion and ran over.

"It's Honda!" Shizuka exclaimed.

They ran up to the fake Honda.

"Are you alright?" Yugi asked.

"You kids should be on your way." The fake Honda said.

"That's not Honda! That's one of the Big 5!" Duke cried.

"That's right." Nesbitt said before attacking Kaiba again. (I don't know if it's really Nesbitt or not, but I presume it is since he was the one who defeated Honda.)

Kaiba quickly grabbed a pipe to defend himself, but Nesbitt knocked it out of his hands.

"You're going to pay for what you did to me!" Nesbitt said and rose his wooden sword for another attack.

"Seto!" Kay and Mokuba cried.

But before he could attack Kaiba, the Robot Monkey (the real Honda) leaped onto Nesbitt's head, grabbing at his face.

Nesbitt, with a little struggle, was finally able to throw Honda off of him.

But once he did that, Joey punched him, sending Nesbitt through a warehouse door.

Not too long later, Nesbitt broke through the warehouse window while riding a motorcycle. He quickly grabbed Mokuba as he was passing by. He then punched Mokuba in the stomach and knocked him out.

"Mokuba!" Everyone cried and chased after them.

But Nesbitt and Mokuba had disappeared in a tunnel.

"They're gone!" Duke cried.

Suddenly, zooming right past them, was Kaiba on another motorcycle, with Kay clutching onto Kaiba behind him.

They drove off down the tunnel, after Nesbitt and Mokuba.

Kay clung onto Kaiba's waste.

"Are you sure you know how to drive this?!" She cried.

"I operate helicopters, jets, airplanes, and I can drive a car. Of course I know how!" Kaiba called back, focusing on the road.

Kay clung onto his waste tighter as they continued moving on in the tunnel.

"Kaiba and Kay are after the fake Honda." Joey said. "So we have to look for the real Honda."

Everyone paused and turned around when they saw the robot monkey chattering away behind them.

He was trying to tell everyone that he was Honda.

"I don't trust that robot runt." Joey muttered.

Shizuka leaned down to pet him.

"How dangerous can he be?" She asked.

"Don't touch him, Shizuka! It could be a trap!" Duke warned her.

"Yeah! We should take him apart." Joey said.

"Don't touch him!" Shizuka said to the two. "He saved Kaiba! And besides, he's adorable!"

Being grateful, the robot monkey Honda leaped into Shizuka's arms.

"Honda's mind has to be around here somewhere." Yugi said.

The robot monkey Honda pointed to himself, chattering away again.

"Shut up." Joey said at Honda.

Kaiba and Kay were still following after Nesbitt and Mokuba.

They emerged from the tunnel to find themselves on a bridge with a section missing in front of them.

"Uh…Seto?" Kay said worried and wide-eyed.

Kaiba gritted his teeth and sped up, jumping the gap. Kay let out a scream as they jumped. But they landed safely on the other side, Kay having a death grip on Kaiba.

"Get out of the way!" Kaiba yelled.

Kay looked around him to see that there was a man in front of them. But the man didn't move.

Suddenly, the motorcycle went out of control.

Kaiba quickly grabbed Kay and jumped off before the motorcycle crashed and burned.

"Are you alright?" Kaiba asked.

Kay was still holding onto Kaiba, shaking.

"Y-Yeah! I-I'm…fine." She stuttered.

The man that was on the road approached them. He was wearing a trench coat and a metal mask, along with a Duel Disk on his arm.

"Kaiba, if you ever want to see your brother again, you'll have to make it past me." The man said.

Kaiba frowned angrily at the man.

Nesbitt stopped farther down the bridge and stopped next to Noa.

"Why did you take Seto's brother?" Noa demanded.

"Kaiba took everything from me, so this is payback." Nesbitt explained.

"That wasn't part of the deal." Noa said.

"I've been waiting to take you down for a long time." The masked man said to Kaiba.

"Bring it." Kaiba said.

Mokuba woke up on a couch in a living room with a fireplace in front of him.

"Hello Mokuba." Noa greeted.

Mokuba glared at him.

"Stay away!" He warned. "Just wait until my brother finds out!"

"Seto won't be rescuing you any time soon." Noa said.

"My brother would never let anything happen to me!" Mokuba continued.

"Seto has his hands tied." Noa said and showed Mokuba a viewscreen on which the duel on the bridge was shown.

"Do you know who you're dealing with?" The masked man asked.

Kay jumped in angrily after she calmed down.

"I know who we're dealing with! Some freak in a mask, who is apparently so ugly, he HAS to wear one!" She snapped at the man. "Now move on! Kidnapping Mokuba is going too far!"

"Wait! I recognize that voice." Kaiba exclaimed. "That's Lector!" Kaiba frowned and activated his Duel Disk. "Let's get this over with."

They then chose their decks and Kaiba chose Lord of Dragons as his Deck Master.

"I don't know which monster you've chosen for your Deck Master, but I don't care! I crush you anyways!" Kaiba said to Lector.

Meanwhile, everyone was speeding down the bridge in a virtual three-wheeled pickup truck they found.

"What a lucky thing it was to find this truck." Yugi said, before the truck suddenly screeched to a stop.

The sudden stop tossed Cat, Anzu and Yugi to collide, while Shizuka ran into Duke.

Honda suddenly leaped out at Duke, jealous of Duke touching Shizuka.

"Joey, why did you stop?" Yugi asked Joey, who was driving.

"Check it out!" Joey said pointing out a rocket speeding into the sky from the bridge.

(The rocket is from Lector and Kaiba's duel.)

The rocket then went into orbit.

"I wonder what that was." Cat wondered.

"It must have been some kind of satellite launched by the Big 5." Yugi said.

Honda was scratching the back of his head, thinking to himself that the one good thing about being a robot monkey was being able to hang out in Shizuka's arms all day.

"Guys, we're supposed to be looking for Honda." Shizuka said sternly.

Honda briefly thought to himself that she was so cute when she acted tough. Especially when all she could think about was trying to find him!

Suddenly, Honda unintentionally flipped a switch on the back of his head, causing everyone to be able to hear his thoughts, just when he was thinking, "I'm so much better than that Romeo wannabe, Duke."

Everyone looked at the robot monkey, confused.

"What was that?" Anzu asked.

Honda then hit the switch off, then on again.

This time, people heard him think, "If I'm stuck in this robot monkey body long enough, I might start eating bananas."

Everyone stared at him.

"Honda?!" They all asked.

Joey jumped out of the front seat and snatched Honda away from Shizuka angrily.

"Who are you! I don't trust you one bit!" Joey snapped at Honda.

"It's me!" Honda cried.

"He must be a robot spy sent by Noa!" Joey continued.

Later one, Joey continued driving the truck and Honda was tied up in a corner of the truck bed.

"Guys! It's really me!" Honda continued to protest.

"Sorry, we're not taking any chances." Duke said to Honda.

Everyone had found Kaiba and watched Kaiba win the duel.

Mokuba, who was still with Noa, cheered for his brother's win.

"How can you still be on your brother's side, after Kaiba betrayed you to gain control of Kaiba Corp.?" Noa asked.

"I'll stand by my brother no matter what. We're family and nothing will separate us." Mokuba said.

Noa was astonished that even after everything he showed Mokuba, Mokuba was still loyal to his brother. Noa was getting sick of Kaiba getting everything and leaving him with nothing! He wanted to have what Kaiba had. And he was going to start with Mokuba. He decided that he was going to crush Kaiba with one thing that he thought he'd never lose. Mokuba's trust.

"What do you think your brother is thinking right now?" Noa asked Mokuba. "Do you honestly believe he's coming to rescue you?"

"He is!" Mokuba insisted.

"Why don't you ask Seto yourself." Noa said.

Mokuba turned around to see Kaiba standing there.

Happily, Mokuba jumped over the back of the couch and ran to him.

But Kaiba raised his arm and knocked Mokuba down.

"Stay away." Kaiba said. "I'm sick of you holding me back. It's your fault we're stuck here."

Without another word, Kaiba walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

"Seto! Come back!" Mokuba called.

But Kaiba ignored him.

"Your brother doesn't care where you end up." Noa said. "But I would like to help you." He kneeled by Mokuba. "I'll save you."

Noa's eyes then started to glow red, hypnotizing Mokuba. Noa put his arm around Mokuba.

"I'm the only one you can trust." He said. "I'll be your brother now."


	20. The Big 5's End

Everyone stood on the other side from Kaiba, as he stood alone with Kay.

"Kaiba, you may have won the duel, but you've lost something more important. Your brother." Noa said to Kaiba.

"Noa! Where is Mokuba!" Kaiba demanded.

"Just look down." Noa said.

The missing section of the bridge re-appeared and a tunnel formed across from Kaiba.

Without another thought, Kaiba ran towards the tunnel.

"Kaiba, wait!" Yugi cried. "It might be a trap!"

"Stay out of this!" Kaiba yelled back.

"Seto, Yugi may be right!" Kay cried as she followed him.

"HEY! Kaiba! Who do you think you are?" Joey snapped.

"It doesn't concern you! It's family business!" Kaiba snapped back before running into the tunnel with Kay behind him.

"Who needs him?!" Joey huffed angrily.

"Yeah!" Duke agreed.

"Guys, I think we should help Kaiba save Mokuba." Yugi said.

"Finding Noa might help me find my body." Honda said.

"He's right." Shizuka said.

Honda was grateful for her support. He buried his face in Shizuka's chest.

Duke grabbed Honda by the tail.

"For all we know, you're Noa's pet." Duke said to him, frowning.

"We can't let Kaiba and Kay go alone." Yugi said before running off after them.

Cat and Anzu followed him, leaving Joey, Duke and Shizuka. They were arguing whether they should follow or not.

"I'm sick of helping Kaiba and never getting any thanks for it!" Joey said angrily.

"That's right. If we were in trouble, Kaiba wouldn't help us." Duke agreed.

Shizuka frowned and followed the other three.

Joey and Duke looked at each other reluctantly before following her.

But suddenly, before they could enter the tunnel, it disappeared.

"Everyone!" They shouted.

At this time, Kaiba and Kay had reached a fork in the tunnel.

"I'm getting sick of Noa's tricks." Kaiba grumbled before he and Kay took off down the right-hand side.

They suddenly heard Mokuba called out to Kaiba for help. But when they stopped, they spotted someone standing in the darkness. It looked like Mokuba, but it was Noa, dressed in Mokuba's clothes. Noa floated up into the air before a bright light engulfed Noa, Kaiba and Kay!

Yugi, Cat and Anzu reached the same fork in the tunnel.

Anzu began to go down the left-hand side of the fork.

"Kaiba went this way!" She said.

"Are you sure?" Cat asked.

"You have no way of knowing!" Yugi said.

Anzu continued on anyways, Cat and Yugi following.

"Guys, slow down! Your legs are longer than mine!" Yugi said.

Soon, they spotted a light at the end of the tunnel and emerged into a wooded area in front of an old mansion.

Cat tried to open the gate, but it was locked.

"I guess we can't get in." She said.

They paused when they heard a baby crying somewhere inside.

"Either way, we have to go inside to see what's going on." Yugi said.

"I'm tired of waiting around!" Yami Marik said while he was still in the airship. He walked out to look for everyone.

"I have to get Yugi's Millennium Puzzle and the two remaining God cards!"

Kaiba and Kay came crashing down into Noa's virtual living room.

Noa stood before them.

"Noa! Bring my brother to me!" Kaiba demanded before he spotted Mokuba peering around Noa.

"Mokuba is safe and sound." Noa said. "Thanks to me."

"You're the one who took Mokuba from me! And you'd better hand him over!" Kaiba snapped.

"Ah, ah. It was your ex-employee who grabbed Mokuba. Maybe you should have been a better boss!" Noa pointed out. "I was the one who rescued Mokuba."

Kaiba was getting tired of this. He grabbed Mokuba's arm and tried to take him away, but Mokuba pulled away from him and ran back to Noa.

"You stood aside and watched while they took me away!" Mokuba accused. "I'm staying with Noa."

"Noa, what have you done to Mokuba?" Kay asked angrily.

"I've done nothing." Noa simply said.

"Snap out of it Mokuba!" Kaiba said.

"It'll take more than shouting to erase all of Mokuba's painful memories of the times you've abandoned him for your own selfish goals." Noa taunted.

"That's a lie! I've never treated Mokuba like that!" Kaiba protested. "Mokuba, don't listen to Noa's lies!"

Noa took Mokuba back to the couch.

"You're all alone now." Noa said to Kaiba. "Mokuba would rather be my brother. And that's not all. You don't deserve anything you have. And I plan to take it all away from you."

Yugi, Cat and Anzu had found their way into the mansion and searched for the baby they could still hear crying. But it was nowhere to be found.

"The whole mansion seems to be deserted." Cat said.

Yugi found a rattle in an empty bedroom.

"I don't think that there's really a baby at all." Yugi said.

They all stopped when they found a dusty photograph.

"This is weird." Yugi said.

Yami Marik, who was still wandering around the hanger, finally found the door to it. But when he tried to get out, it was locked. And he didn't know the combination to unlock it.

He punched the door in frustration.

"It's gettin' real foggy here." Joey said while Duke, Shizuka, Honda and him stood on the bridge.

Honda was looking down at the water. Suddenly, he spotted eyes peering up at him out of the sea.

Freaked out, he tried to warn everyone.

"Stop trying to be annoying." Duke said.

All of the sudden, a waterspout shot up, revealing the four remaining Big 5.

"We're here to steal your bodies!" One of them exclaimed.

Quickly, Joey threw a bunch of monsters on his Duel Disk to defend everyone while they all jumped in the truck to try and get away.

But the truck wasn't starting.

The Big 5 destroyed Joey's monsters quickly.

But just in time, the truck finally started and they sped away. The Big 5 followed them in pursuit.

"It's time you've learned the truth, Kaiba." Noa said and showed him a projection of himself with Kaiba's adopted father.

Just then, Yugi, Cat and Anzu arrived.

"Kaiba!" Yugi cried and ran up to him.

He handed the photograph to Kaiba.

It was a photograph of Gozaburo and Noa.

"This is a trick!" Kaiba cried.

"Just watch the projection." Noa said.

They saw Gozaburo take a photograph of young Seto from his desk and showed it to Noa.

"This is my latest acquisition." Gozaburo said. "Seto is extremely intelligent. I plan to bring Seto here to challenge you so you will work harder in your studies. You will have to prove that you have the intellect to run Kaiba Corp. someday."

Noa nodded.

"You won't be disappointed, father." He said.

Everyone was shocked. Especially Kaiba.

"It's true. I'm Gozaburo's one true son." Noa said. "Seto was just one of my servants."

"That's not true!" Kaiba protested.

"And now it's time for me to reclaim my rightful position as head of my father's empire!" Noa said. "You're out of a job, Kaiba."

"If you're really Gozaburo's son, then why haven't we met before?" Kaiba asked.

Noa was about to explain until suddenly, the system alerted Noa about Joey and the others' pursuit by the Big 5.

"Wait here while I take care of this." Noa said before disappearing.

"Noa! Come back here!" Kaiba shouted.

The truck continued speeding down the road, trying to avoid the Big 5.

Jinzo (Lector), blasted the road ahead of them with his trap-destroying beam. The truck swerved off the road and overturned. Duke flew out of the truck.

Luckily, no one was hurt. But the Big 5 were still determined to steal their bodies.

"I get to pick first!" Crump said.

"No you don't! I stopped them, so I get to!" Lector snapped.

They began to argue, while Joey and Shizuka huddled on top of the truck.

Gansley walked up with Duke and tossed him to the ground.

"Stop bickering and choose!" He snapped.

Just then, Noa appeared and sucked the Big 5 into a twister, disappearing along with them.

Yugi, Cat, Kay, Kaiba and Anzu ran up to the truck from the woods.

"Guys! You're okay!" Kay called.

Everyone greeted each other happily. Yugi flung himself onto Joey and Joey gave him a good squeeze.

Kaiba was still looking at the photograph Yugi found.

"Do you think Noa's story could be true?" Yugi asked Kaiba.

"It has to be a trick. The supposed conversation between Noa and Gozaburo would have happened over six years ago, which is when the photo was taken, according to the date written on it. But Noa looks exactly the same in the picture as he does now. He hasn't aged in six years." Kaiba explained.

"How dare you try to take their bodies by force! You're working for me, and you've made me look bad by losing and then trying to cheat!" Noa scolded the Big 5.

The Big 5 tried to make excuses but Noa told them to shut up.

Nesbitt then showed in Honda's body.

"I'm about to escape to the real world." He announced.

"Wait. But you lost the duel." Gansley pointed out.

"So that body doesn't belong to you." Lector said.

"You all must share Honda's body and defeat Yugi in a duel. Defeating Seto's strongest rival will prove once and for all that I deserve to have Seto's empire. If you win, I'll let you each have bodies." Noa said.

Everyone walked down an empty highway through the desert.

"Is Noa really your stepbrother?" Duke asked.

"Yeah, fill us in!" Joey added in.

"That's none of your business." Kaiba said.

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" Duke said.

"Yeah, that explains why Noa brought us here." Joey agreed.

"By teaming up with the Big 5, Noa plans to prove that he's the better son." Anzu said

"He's holding Mokuba captive to weaken Kaiba." Yugi added in.

"That's it, I've heard enough from you geeks." Kaiba said and began to walk away from them until Anzu ran in front of him, stopping him.

"We want to help!" She said.

"It's family business." Kaiba said and tried to push past her, until she jumped in front of him, stopping him again.

"It's your family business that got us all trapped here." She reminded him. "And we can help you find Mokuba."

Kaiba turned his head away, refusing to look at her.

"Mokuba is our friend too, and we want to help him!" Anzu continued.

"Why don't you worry about "him" instead?" Kaiba suggested, pointing at someone.

Everyone turned to find Nesbitt standing on a nearby hilltop.

While everyone's attention was focused on Honda, Kaiba slipped away.

Kay looked back at Kaiba and frowned, following him.

"I just can't believe this guy, sometimes!" She mummered to herself.

"It's that techno-geek Nesbitt, who took Honda's body even though we kicked his butt in our duel!" Duke exclaimed.

"All five of us are here." The Big 5 said. Apparently they were all in Honda's body.

"Give Honda his body back!" Yugi yelled at them.

"There's only one way we'll do that. If you beat us in a duel, Yugi." They said.

"I never agreed to give the body back!" Nesbitt complained.

"It's our body now too ya know!" The other four said.

"We're not going to keep our word anyways." Johnson pointed out.

A Duel Disk appeared on the Big 5's arm.

"I accept your challenge!" Yugi said, switching with Yami and activating his own Duel Disk.

"Hey! Five against one isn't fair!" Joey cried. "I'm not gonna let you duel alone, Yug!"

The Big 5 began to argue with each other.

"Our plan was to duel Yugi alone!" Crump said.

"Joey's weak and will only hold Yugi back!" Johnson said.

"Joey defeated you in your duel with him, Johnson!" Lector pointed out.

"I have an idea. How about this, we'll let Joey duel with Yugi. But we'll make the life points even. We'll start with 8000 while Joey and Yugi each have 4000." Johnson suggested.

The virtual cards appeared and Joey and Yami picked their decks.

And Joey picked Cyber Harpie to be in his deck in Mai's honor.

"As soon as we get out of this virtual dump, I'm gonna rescue Mai!" Joey said to himself.

Yami chose the Dark Magician as his Deck Master while Joey chose the Flame Swordsman.

"We'll take turns dueling and rotate our Deck Masters." The Big 5 said. "First up is Gansley with Deep Sea Warrior."

It was time for the duel to begin.

Kaiba and Kay walked up a hill on a long stone stairway.

"Yugi and his friends can deal with the Big 5. I have bigger problems." Kaiba mummered.

"It still wouldn't have hurt to have worked with them." Kay said.

Kaiba sighed and went into thought. He was still confused about Noa being Gozaburo's son.

He figured that it had to be a lie! If he really were Gozaburo's son, then he would have been the same age as him! And he was clearly just a kid.

Kaiba was starting to wonder if the Big 5 put Noa up to all this in their attempt to take over Kaiba Corp. But they weren't smart enough to have thought of it themselves.

There was a piece of the puzzle missing and Kaiba was determined to find it. But first he had to find Mokuba. Then he was going to show that no one disrespects his family and gets away with it!

After a while, Kaiba arrived at Noa's virtual Kaiba Land.

Kaiba was shocked.

"What's this place?" Kay asked.

"It's Kaiba Land. It was an amusement park I was creating. But the blueprints were a secret. And construction isn't due to begin for another four years!" Kaiba explained. "But he's included every detail. Including my back-door security system."

It was a chessboard, which opened the door when the proper move was played.

Kaiba and Kay entered, hoping to find some answers inside.

They walked through the empty building. They spotted a virtual doorway and entered.

"This probably leads to more images of my past." Kaiba said.

But instead, they found an old movie projector and a screen. Kay switched the projector on.

They watched some home movies of young Noa with Gozaburo, playing games, celebrating a birthday and going on a fishing trip.

"Noa must still be trying to convince me that he's Gozaburo's son." Kaiba said. "But it'll take more than a few fake home movies to do that."

The scene suddenly changed and the movie showed a woman walked down the steps of a church, holding a portrait of Noa in her hands.

"Wait…is Noa dead?" Kay asked.

In the movie, Gozaburo talked to the woman.

"Noa can still be saved." Gozaburo said to the woman.

"I wonder what that means. Was Noa in some sort of accident?" Kaiba wondered. "He was going to tell us "the truth" until he was distracted by the Big 5's attempt to steal Yugi's friends' bodies. If these images are real, something devastating must have happened to Noa before me and Mokuba were adopted."

Kaiba began to walk away, Kay followed him.

"Why would Noa want you to know all this information about his past?" Kay asked.

"I don't know. Unless…someone else is behind all this." Kaiba said.

Yami and Joey had won the duel against the Big 5.

Everyone cheered for them.

"Now that we've won, return Honda's body right now!" Yami demanded.

"You wish!" The Big 5 said before they began attacking everyone, intending to once again steal their bodies.

But Noa showed up again and snatched the Big 5 away, along with Honda's body.

"I'm going to be stuck as a monkey for the rest of my life!" Honda cried.

Shizuka picked him up and hugged him in her arms. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to get your body back." She said, trying to comfort him.

"Maybe I can learn to live with it." Honda said.

Mokuba, who was blank-eyed, stared off into space while Noa was confronting the Big 5 again.

"You guys are pathetic!" Noa snapped.

"Please! Give us another chance!" They begged.

"It's time for you guys to leave for good!" Noa said and laughed as the Big 5 disappeared, trapped in his virtual world forever.

"It's time I challenged Seto personally." Noa said to himself. "I'll prove once and for all that I'm the true heir to the Kaiba Empire!"

Joey was shaking Robot Monkey Honda upside down, holding onto him by his feet.

"This might be the only way we can save us!" Joey explained.

"Since Honda's robot body was designed by Noa, it might hold some clues about how to get out of here." Duke said.

"Hey wait! Stop it! Put me down!" Honda cried.

Duke ran his hands along the robot body and suddenly a panel in the back opened up, revealing a keypad.

"Let's see what this does." Joey said and pushed a key, which made the robot switch into wheeled mode.

Poor Honda raced around them in circles.

Duke then tried pushing a key and the robot then sprouted a whirling set of rotor blades and flew around before crashing into the ground.

"That looked painful." Cat said.

Yugi (who switched back to normal) then decided to push the red button.

The robot monkey sat up.

"Initiating escape sequence."

A virtual door then appeared, leading to Kaiba Land.

Inside Kaiba Land, Kaiba and Kay stood on a subway platform.

"This is just a rip-off of my Duel Monsters theme park." Kaiba muttered.

Soon, the Blue-Eyes White Train entered the station.

"At least Noa got this right." Kaiba said and stepped into one of the train cars, helping Kay in next to him.

They sat down and heard an announcement. It was Noa's voice.

"All passengers who have stolen family empires from their rightful owners should prepare to exit at the next stop."

"I think Noa's having too much fun with this." Kay pointed out.

Noa was in another car, cuddling with Mokuba, watching Kaiba on a viewscreen.

"Don't believe a word Kaiba says." Noa told Mokuba.

"Yes. Noa is my only brother." Mokuba said.


	21. Mysterious Girl

Outside of virtual Kaiba Land, everyone gathered.

"It looks like some sort of Kaiba Corp. amusement park." Cat said.

Honda walked into the park and everyone followed.

The robot monkey then turned on them.

"Don't come any further." The robot monkey warned them. Guns then emerged from his robot arms, but Yugi and Joey ran right past him, knocking him to the side.

He turned back into normal Honda again.

"Are you alright?" Shizuka asked Honda.

The Blue-Eyes White Train emerged from the virtual Kaiba Land onto an elevated track, traveling over a landscape of volcanoes and molten lava.

Noa stood on a small shelf of rock jutting out of the lava sea.

The train stopped, letting Kaiba and Kay out onto another rock island.

As the train tracks disappeared, Kaiba faced Noa.

"Give me my brother back!" Kaiba demanded.

"Mokuba is my brother, and he'll be much better off when your mind is scattered throughout cyberspace!" Noa said. "It's time for me to prove myself to my father, that I'm superior to you in every way!"

"If you're so superior, why is Kaiba the president of Kaiba Corp.?" Kay snapped.

"It was an unfortunate twist of fate." Noa said. "One I intend to correct."

"Who are you really?" Kaiba asked Noa. "I saw those "home movies" and you owe me some answers.

At that time, Yugi, Joey, Cat, Shizuka, Honda, Duke and Anzu had found the home movies. They were watching the part where Noa's mother emerged from the church carrying Noa's portrait.

"If I'm going to save Noa, I've got to act fast." Gozaburo said to his wife.

"Noa must have been in some sort of accident." Cat said.

"I might as well tell you the truth, since you won't be here for long." Noa said. "It's true that I haven't aged in years. This isn't really my body."

A metal sphere then appeared in the sky.

"My living brain is up there." Noa pointed.

The gang had found a subway station.

"We should follow the tracks so we can find Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba!" Honda said. "And get my body back so we can get out of here!"

"Maybe we should wait for a train, though." Cat said.

But Honda had already jumped down.

"Hey guys! I found a handcar!" Honda yelled.

"Nice score!" Joey said with a smile.

It wasn't long until they were speeding along the tracks, Joey and Duke pumping the levers while everyone else hung on for dear life.

"Joey! Do you know where the brakes are?" Anzu asked.

Joey sheepishly held up a rod.

"This looks like it." He said with a weak grin.

The handcar sped out of control and everyone screamed.

"My brain is hardwired to a computer that projects a virtual image of me. But things weren't always that way. I used to be a normal kid. A normal kid who had everything!" Noa continued to explain. "Mathematicians and scientists from around the globe lined up for the chance to teach me, along with musicians and athletes! I was groomed to be the educated and well-rounded successor to Kaiba Corp.! Until a freak accident rendered my body useless. So my father connected my mind to a computer and downloaded every thought and memory, turning me into a virtual being whose power is limitless! And then you came along. Originally, Gozaburo adopted you to motivate and challenge me, to help train me to take over Kaiba Corp. But after the accident, that was no longer possible. Without a body of my own, I couldn't run Kaiba Corp. Until now! I'm no longer human. I exist only as a digital file in my father's computer. But as soon as I defeat you in a duel, proving myself to be superior, I'll upload my mind into your body and return to the real world to take over Kaiba Corp.!"

Kaiba laughed.

"The only thing that's more ridiculous than that story is you out-dueling me!" Kaiba said. "I re-built Kaiba Corp. from the ground up on my own terms, with no help at all. No one else could run it. Especially some kid. I accept your challenge."

Kaiba activated his duel disk and chose Kaiser Seahorse as his deck master.

Meanwhile, everyone was still speeding along on the handcar, which suddenly burst through, into the lava landscape, crashing onto another of the rock islands emerging from the lava.

"Hey look! It's Kaiba and Kay!" Joey pointed out.

"Kaiba, be careful!" Yugi cried.

"It looks like your fanclub has arrived, Seto." Noa said. "Just in time to see your last duel."

Kaiba didn't look too happy to see them.

"Kaiba can't let Noa win." Yugi said.

Kaiba had just been able to free Mokuba from Noa.

But Kaiba lost the duel.

"Seto!" Mokuba called out.

"Father, I've won! And now I can take over Kaiba Corp.!" Noa gloated.

Noa rose and merged with his Deck Master.

"I have one final task. I've decided not to escape to the real world in Seto's body. There are plenty of others to choose from, and I want to turn Seto into a permanent fixture in this world." He said.

Kaiba struggled to sit up, having been knocked down by the force of the Blue-Eyes' destruction. (That was the last card he played and when Noa destroyed the Blue-Eyes White Dragon that's how Kaiba lost the duel.)

Mokuba ran to Kaiba and Kaiba smiled, reaching out his hand to him.

But just when they were about to come together, Noa turned them into stone. Their hands were only inches apart.

"Seto! Mokuba!" Kay cried in horror.

Everyone ran to them and stood by the statues.

Tears fell from Mokuba's statue eyes.

Yugi got horribly angry at the situation and changed into Yami.

"This doesn't prove you're the best, Noa! It shows your father that you're a coward!" Yami snapped at Noa.

"I won fair and square." Noa said.

"Kidnapping Mokuba and using him as a shield wasn't fair!" Yami pointed out. "You're guilty of the same foul play as the Big 5. Kaiba could have easily won, but he chose the safety of his little brother over his victory!"

Yami picked up Kaiba's deck. "Noa! I challenge you to continue the duel!"

"Fine. If I win, I'll turn you all into stone, but one, whose body I'll use to escape." Noa said.

"Alright. But if I win, you must set all of us free!" Yami said.

Kay kneeled on the ground next to Kaiba and Mokuba. She held onto each one of their hands as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Yugi…I hope you win. We can't allow Noa to get away with this." She said quietly.

Noa then caused circles of stone to rise out of the ground beneath himself and Yami. That way their duel took place in the sky.

The duel began.

As the duel raged on, Noa was turning everyone one by one into stone.

First he turned Duke into stone.

Then he turned Kay into stone.

Then he turned Honda into stone.

Then Shizuka, Joey, and Anzu.

And finally Cat turned to stone as well.

But after a struggle, Yami won the duel against Noa.

"Alright Noa! A deal's a deal! Now release my friends!" Yami demanded.

Noa huffed.

"I have no reason to." He said. "I've come too far to lose now! I won't let anything get in my way!"

"You…!" Yami growled between clenched teeth.

All of the sudden, Joey's statue broke apart and Joey was free!

"Hey! I'm back to normal!" He cried.

"Joey!" Yami cried happily.

"What? What's going on?!" Noa yelled angrily.

Then, Mokuba, Kaiba, Kay, Shizuka were freed.

Mokuba at last flung himself into Kaiba's arms and Joey and Shizuka rushed over to each other.

Mokuba smiled at Kay and pulled her into the hug him and his brother were sharing as well.

"How is this happening?!" Noa cried.

Next, Duke was released and so was Anzu.

"We're free?" Anzu asked.

"That must mean that Yugi won the duel." Duke said and looked over at something that caught his eye. "Wait a minute. What's that?" He pointed.

Everyone turned to look. They all spotted a girl that was glowing slightly. She was also a little transparent. Almost spirit-like.

When she walked her clothes and hair flowed as if they were in water. And her steps were very graceful and soft.

"It's a GHOST!" Joey yelped in fear.

The girl leaned down and touched the Honda robot monkey statue and Honda was set free. The girl moved on.

"Hey! I'm free!" He cried. "But I'm still a monkey!"

"Who IS that?" Duke asked.

"Whoever she is, she seems to be on our side. She's freeing everyone." Anzu said.

Everyone looked at the girl harder.

"Hey wait…am I the only one who thinks that looks like…" Joey started.

"Now that you mention it, it does!" Shizuka said.

"That girl looks exactly like Cat!" Kay exclaimed.

The girl indeed looked exactly like Cat. Only her clothes were different and her hair was a lighter brown.

It was like an ancient Egyptian form of Cat.

The girl had a small tiara on her forehead, which was a blue gem.

Her hair was held up in a ponytail by a gold ring and her dress was white; a slit on her dress and was on the left-hand side of her. She had a large golden ring that looked something of a chest plate, which hung around her neck, on her shoulders and ended right under her collarbone.

She had one golden cuff on each of her upper arms and three around her wrist and lower arm area. Three more golden rings were around her waist, acting as a belt, kind of, and two more around her neck.

And lastly, she wore brown sandals and the same silver cartouche that Cat wore, around her neck.

"Why does she look…somewhat familiar?" Yami asked himself.

Finally, the mysterious girl walked up to Cat and touched her forehead, freeing Cat.

The girl was the first thing Cat saw. Cat blinked in confusment, realizing the girl looked just like her.

"Who…who are you?" Cat asked hesitantly, wondering if this could have possibly been one of Noa's virtual illusions.

But according to the look on Noa's face, that didn't seem to be the case.

The girl smiled simply and did not answer as she disappeared.

"W-wait!" Cat cried to her, but she was already gone.

"That was…weird." Joey said.

"I wonder who that girl was." Anzu wondered.

"Well, never the less, Yugi won the duel!" Kay said happily.

Kaiba looked at her, confused.

"What duel?" He asked.

"Yugi took over your duel for you after you and Mokie were turned into stone, combining yours and his decks." Kay explained.

Kaiba looked at his empty Duel Disk.

"What?! Yugi took my cards?!" He cried. He seemed more concerned that Yugi used his cards, than who won.

The stone dueling platforms returned to their holes in the ground.

Noa fell to his knees.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to happen!" He cried.

Yami walked over to him.

"You've been alone in this virtual world for six years, and it's distorted your mind." He said.

Noa briefly thought to himself that Yami was right.

Maybe the reason why he despised Yugi and his friends so much was that they shared a bond he never got to experience. He had tried to eliminate their friendship. But they'll never understand what it's like to be him. His father promised him everything, but left him with nothing.

Noa sat back on his knees.

"It's not fair!" He said to Yami. "I deserve to be president of Kaiba Corp.!"

Suddenly, Noa attacked Yami.

"No matter! I'll just use your body to escape into the real world!" Noa said as his arms began to sink into Yami's body.

But suddenly, the Millennium Items and the ancient Pharaoh appeared in Noa's mind.

"Wha? Who…who are you?!" Noa cried.

Yami also saw the images in Noa's mind as well.

He saw all their bodies in Virtual Reality pods.

With the power of the Millennium Puzzle, Noa was forced back.

Everyone ran up to Noa and Yami.

"I'm gonna kick your sorry butt, Noa!" Joey snapped.

"Joey! Violence won't get us out of here!" Shizuka said.

"It's time to set us free." Yami said to Noa.

Noa only laughed.

"Your real bodies are where they've been ever since you've arrived. Everything here is virtual, and your real bodies are in cyberpods." He said.

"This is why we've been able to feel things in the virtual world!" Anzu realized.

"When the floor opened up, we didn't fall into a virtual vortex, we were knocked unconscious and locked in the VR (virtual reality) pods." Kaiba said.

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

"Noa! You have failed me for the last time!" A voice cried.

"That voice! It can't be!" Kaiba cried.

"Father, no!" Noa cried.

A face appeared in the clouds. It was Gozaburo Kaiba.

"Gozaburo!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Please father! Give me some more time!" Noa begged.

"You've have plenty of time! It's time for me to finish things off myself!" Gozaburo said sternly. "I had my own mind digitized when Seto disgraced me by taking over my company! I wanted revenge."

"So you were behind all this the whole time!" Kaiba exclaimed.

"Yes! He was!" Noa happily agreed. "And now he's going to give Kaiba Corp. to me!"

"You've had your chance, Noa! And you failed!" Gozaburo told Noa.

"You had your chance too, and failed! And you lost Kaiba Corp. to someone more fit for the job!" Kaiba said.

"I taught you everything I know, Seto! You're a fool! It's time you learned the truth about why I adopted you!" Gozaburo said. "When you beat me at chess, I decided to adopt you to motivate my real son, Noa. But then Noa had his accident, and his body was rendered useless. I tried to preserve my son's mind in cyberspace, but soon realized that Noa would always be the same spoiled brat, unworthy of inheriting Kaiba Corp.! So I turned my attention to you, Seto, thinking that you could be the heir to my fortune! So I pushed you to your limits."

"I can't believe it! You gave up on me! Your own son!" Noa complained. "You trapped me all alone in cyberspace!"

Mokuba was starting to feel sorry for Noa.

"At first, I thought I could still use Seto." Gozaburo said.

Kaiba looked angry.

"And what did you plan to do with me?" He asked.

"Even if Noa could learn to run a major corporation, he still lacked one thing. A body. That's were you came in, Seto." Gozaburo said.

Everyone looked horrified.

Kaiba was shocked as well.

"I can't believe you were planning to transfer Noa's mind into my body!" He snapped.

"That plan only lasted a short time. Why should I give Seto Noa's mind, when Seto's mind was perfectly fine? I concentrated on training Seto to inherit my empire, but then he stole it from me! So I used the same technology I used to download Noa's mind, and digitized my own mind, retreating to cyberspace to plot my revenge! Then I built a place for my final plan, to take over Seto's body myself!" Gozaburo continued.

"You…you only used me to trap Kaiba and the others here!" Noa exclaimed.

"It's the only thing you did right!" Gozaburo snapped at Noa.

"You snake!" Kaiba snapped at Gozaburo.

Gozaburo became angry.

"I was the most powerful human being in the world, until you came along and stole everything from me! I treated you better than I treated my own son!" Gozaburo snapped.

"Thanks for nothing." Kaiba said. "I'll make sure you never regain your power."

A viewscreen then opened up in the sky, showing a satellite.

"This is one of the original Kaiba Corp. satellites, and part of my newest plan. These satellites can beam signals to every computer system on earth and connect them back to the underwater base that holds my supercomputer!" Gozaburo explained. "No one on earth will escape me! I'll have access to every home on the planet!"

"That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard!" Noa said.

"The idea came from you, don't you remember?" Gozaburo pointed out. "You figured out that we could connect our virtual reality system to other systems around the world. I'm no longer interested in taking over Seto's body to regain control of Kaiba Corp. Once my new plan works, I'll be the most powerful being on the planet! When I'm finished, everyone on earth will become virtual. I'll digitize the entire earth and I'll reign as the cyber-ruler!"

And with that, Gozaburo disappeared.

Later, Noa led the gang through tunnels in the hills.

"You have to escape quickly." Noa said to them. "I know the way out."

"I don't know why we should believe him." Joey muttered.

"We have no choice." Duke said.

They found a control panel in a cavern.

"This is an exit." Noa said. "But it seems that my father has closed off the exits to prevent you from escaping. When my father showed up after six years, he promised to help me. But he was lying. My father was using me."

Mokuba, again, was feeling sorry for Noa.

Gozaburo treated Noa just like he did Seto. No respect.

"Are you okay, Noa?" He asked.

"Are you sure there are no other exits?" Joey asked.

"I wanna wake up in my own body!" Honda cried.

"We have to stop Gozaburo from taking over the world!" Joey exclaimed.

"We can't do that from here." Cat added in.

Noa stayed silent, his head bowed over the control panel. He laughed.

"Every virtual reality program has more than one emergency exit, so you should think harder, Noa!" Kaiba said.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to stay in the virtual world a while?" Noa asked. "You won't be alone here for much longer."

Noa began laughing crazily. His eyes had gone dark and his body moved like a puppet.

"My father is bringing the whole world in here. And I'll never be alone again."

Mokuba ran up to Noa and began to shake him by the shoulders.

"Snap out of it!" He cried. "You're in danger too! And we have to work together!"

Noa looked at Mokuba, suddenly looking like a young Kaiba.

Mokuba jumped back, shaking his head, wondering to himself if he had gone nuts.

"Calm down." Noa said.

Mokuba walked away, thinking to himself that Noa was an evil jerk. But it wasn't his fault. They could help him.

"Wait. I remember another exit I created myself that leads directly to the real world." Noa said. "You can escape and warn the world of Gozaburo's plan."

Noa began to lead everyone to it. But he secretly thought to himself that he was going to steal one of their bodies and escape alone.

Back at the airship hanger, Yami Marik was approached by a number of mechanical sentries with guns.

Yami Marik laughed.

"Come and get me!" He said.

They fired their weapons at him, but he destroyed them all with his Millennium Rod.

"That was amusing." He said to himself. "Now to find those fools."


	22. Goodbye Virtual World

Everyone continued to follow Noa, who lead them through the tunnels.

"Something's not right. Noa's not to be trusted." Yami said quietly to Kaiba.

"Tell me something I don't already know." Kaiba muttered.

"Then why are you following Noa?" Yami asked.

"I was always taught to keep my enemies close by." Kaiba replied.

Not long after their conversation, they left the tunnels.

"Kaiba maybe wrong. Maybe Noa is trying to help us. His father mistreated him too. Noa and Kaiba really have a lot in common. They were both mistreated by Gozaburo, and they need us to help defeat him." Yami said to Yugi, who had appeared next to him in spirit.

"That's right. We're all on the same team now." Yugi said before they switched and Yugi took over again.

Noa led them to a wide door between the walls of a canyon.

"This is it. Once you walk through, you'll wake up in the real world." Noa said to them as the door opened and Domino was on the other side.

They walked through.

Mokuba found himself alone in a plaza.

"Seto!" He called. "I hope he didn't leave without me."

Noa then walked up to him.

"What are you doing here? The others made it out already." Noa said. "Follow me."

Although, Noa knew that Mokuba's friends were all stuck in their own memories.

Everyone started to relive pieces of their pasts.

Anzu found herself sitting on a bench in the city, until Yugi's Grandpa snuck up behind her and scared her.

But the scene quickly changed to the docks, where Joey and Yugi were forced to duel.

"Wait…this is." She said to herself.

Yugi was facing the Silent One, and Slifer the Sky Dragon was about to defeat him.

"Wait! Didn't this duel happen already?" He wondered to himself.

Kaiba was there with Yugi, watching the duel.

"What's going on?" He wondered before turning and walking away.

Noa brought Mokuba to the game arcade.

"The exit is inside one of the games." Noa said.

Mokuba ran over to one of the games, eager to find the exit and go home.

But Noa smirked. He had no intention of letting Mokuba go home.

Duke, Honda and Shizuka were running from the Rare Hunters. Honda was still a Robot Monkey, but no one seemed to notice.

Honda turned back to face the Rare Hunters while Duke and Shizuka ran into the street, where Mai almost ran over them in her sports car.

Joey was sitting next to her.

"Doesn't it seem like we've taken this ride before?" Joey asked.

The scene quickly changed to Yami Marik using the Millennium Rod to trap Mai's mind. But then it changed again to where Joey was sitting in Mai's car at the beach, while Mai stood on the shore as the sun set.

"Something's wrong." Joey said. "But maybe not?"

He got out of the car to see Mai, but he then he saw an image of her unconscious on the bed aboard the blimp. It quickly returned to the beach.

"Hey Joey…" Mai started. "We should stop dueling and just settle down."

"Stop dueling?!" Joey cried. "That's crazy talk! Now I now this isn't real!"

Kay found herself in one of her memories as well.

She first found herself with the Pharaoh. It was when she and Yami had first met and went off to look for Cat.

The scene suddenly changed to she was trapped in the warehouse because of the Rare Hunters.

"That's strange." She said to herself. "Didn't this already happen?"

Cat was in the same situation as everyone else.

Her first memory was when she had gotten Slifer the Sky Dragon stolen from her by the Rare Hunters until Yami rescued her.

That one then changed too and Cat found herself in her room on the blimp, listening to music, like she was when she first walked into her room on the blimp.

"This isn't right." Cat said to herself. "This already happened!"

All of the sudden, the memories ended and everyone found themselves in the plaza.

"Noa must have tricked us!" Yugi said. "We'd better find him."

"Guys, wait! Seto and Mokuba aren't here with us!" Kay pointed out.

Mokuba was still trying to find the exit.

"You're getting close." Noa said and began to reach for Mokuba.

Since Mokuba's back was turned on him, he didn't notice.

"You know what I just realized?" Mokuba said. "Noa, you can't escape with us to the real world without a body. But I bet Seto could make you a body. After all, you're our family. I'm sure the technology experts at Kaiba Corp. can make you a robot body. Maybe we could be twins! After all, we are brothers. "

Noa was stunned. How could Mokuba still like him after all he's done?

He almost felt bad for him.

"Hey Mokuba. I found the real exit!" Noa said and brought Mokuba to the stage of a dancing game. Mokuba ran up onto it and Noa came after him, running right into him and taking over his body.

Noa woke up and emerged from his pod. It was Mokuba's body, but Noa was on the inside.

"Finally! After all these years, I have a body of my own!" Noa said in triumph.

Kaiba walked alone through the streets of the virtual city.

"Any fool could see that Noa never intended to set us free." Kaiba grumbled to himself. "Noa told us that the fortress door would take us back to the real world, but it was just another trap. But now it's time to take down the man behind all this madness. My stepfather, Gozaburo."

Kaiba stopped in front of the Kaiba Corp. building and looked up.

"I'm sure that old fool is siting in my office right now! I've taken him down once before, and I'm planning to do it again." He said to himself.

Everyone was still in the town square.

"That little twerp double-crossed us again!" Joey exclaimed angrily. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him! Noa's toast!"

"Hold on, Joey. We have to come up with a plan." Yugi said.

"I already came up with a plan. We shake Noa upside-down until he tells us the way out!" Joey said sternly.

"That's a great idea, Joey!" Duke agreed.

"We're running out of time." Anzu said.

Yugi sighed.

"I shouldn't have trusted Noa. This is all my fault."

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit.

"That's not true." He said.

"Well…I believe that there may still be some good in Noa. And there's nothing wrong with that." Yugi said before recalling all the horrible things Noa did to him and his friends.

"Noa's acts of rage are fueled by an anger deep inside. But we can help him see the light." Yami said.

"We should go find Noa and figure out how to get out of here so we can stop Gozaburo's plan!" Yugi said. "Once we're out of cyberspace, we can warn the people in the real world that Gozaburo's planning to digitize them."

"Yeah!" Honda agreed. But nearly half of what Honda said was monkey chattering.

"You're nearly all monkey now." Duke said to Honda.

Suddenly, Gozaburo's evil chuckle was heard.

His hand placed a chess piece onto a board and a monster appeared in the square where Yugi and his friends were.

"It's Skull Knight!" Yugi cried.

"There's a whole bunch of them!" Cat pointed out.

Gozaburo placed more chess pieces and more monsters appeared, surrounding the gang.

One of the monsters threatened Shizuka and Joey jumped in front of her.

The monster swung its scythe towards Joey, but Yugi quickly pulled out a card from his hand, summoning Curse of Dragon. It destroyed the monster that was attacking Joey.

"It's my turn now!" Joey said, summoning Axe Raider to join the battle.

Noa, in Mokuba's body, walked through the undersea fortress.

"It's good to be back in the real world." He said to himself. "And this body is a perfect fit. Now I can move ahead with my plan."

He used a keypad to enter a code, which gave him access to the base's Central Command. He was intending on destroying the central computer that allowed the virtual world to exist. It would distroy every mind that was trapped down there. His father's, Kaiba's, including Yugi and his friends.

Using the computer's main keyboard, he prepared the satellite to attack.

Kaiba took the elevator to the top floor of the President's office in the Kaiba Corp. building. Kaiba then entered the office.

Gozaburo was there.

"Have a seat. It's time for a father-son chat." He said.

"No thanks." Kaiba said coldly.

"Give in and make it easy on yourself." Gozaburo said, while he continued to move chess pieces on the board, causing a screen to lower behind Kaiba, showing images of the battle in the square between Gozaburo's monsters and everyone else.

Yugi's Curse of Dragon had just been destroyed and Yugi was suffering from the blow.

"I'm not scared." Kaiba said. "Let us go before I really get angry!"

Gozaburo only laughed.

"Remember our chess match on the day we met? I propose a rematch." He said.

"Not interested." Kaiba said. "Why would I want to play chess with someone who couldn't beat me when I was just a kid?"

"I didn't mean another chess game. How about Duel Monsters?" Gozaburo suggested.

"You can't play with my life like it's a game." Kaiba said.

"That's exactly what you did to me. On the day you stole Kaiba Corp. from me." Gozaburo said.

"Why do you have to beat me in a duel in order to get rid of me?" Kaiba asked.

"I want to humiliate you as you did to me." Gozaburo explained. "Then I'll erase your mind and reprogram you as my servant."

"I've never served anyone but myself and I've never backed down from a challenge. Let's duel." Kaiba said confidently.

Noa was about to finish reprogramming the satellite to destroy the central computer, until Yami Marik blasted his way out of the hanger.

Yami Marik laughed.

"I'll find the Pharaoh, even if it means shutting this place down!" He said before raising the Millennium Rod and used it to blow up machinery all around him.

The main power went offline before Noa could complete his work. The magnetic locks holding the airship in place were released.

"The ship is now free!" One of the pilots exclaimed. "Now we need to find the other passengers!"

Ishizu watched from a doorway.

Back at Central Command, backup systems came online and the power was restored.

Noa got back to work.

"Once the satellite attacks, the entire virtual world will shut down, along with every mind inside." He said.

On one of his monitors, he spotted Yami Marik wandering through the halls, wreaking havoc.

"It doesn't matter." Noa said as the computer began the 30-minute countdown to attack.

"The coast is clear!" Joey said and urged everyone into an alley.

Everyone gathered inside.

"It looks like we're safe for now." Joey said just as a reptile monster appeared behind them.

"You spoke too soon!" Cat cried and everyone ran down the alley while Yugi and Joey prepared to hold off the monsters with their cards.

The countdown had reached 25 minutes and the computer made a warning that the virtual simulators should be evacuated.

Just then, Yami Marik broke into Central Command and discovered the satellite, set to destroy the central computer.

He laughed.

Noa rose in the elevator, grim-faced.

He remembered how his father abandoned him and turned his back on him. He also remembered Mokuba's encouragement.

"Mokuba's a fool." Noa mummered and started up the helicopter that he walked into to escape. "Brotherhood and family mean nothing to me."

The computer warned that there were 21 minutes left until the satellite attack.

Noa then suddenly broke down.

"What have I done?!" He cried.

Yugi had summoned Black Luster Soldier to destroy one of Gozaburo's monsters, while Joey summoned another Axe Raider.

Noa left the helicopter and rushed back to Central Command.

"My brother believes in me! I can't let him down! I have to stop that satellite!"

But when he reached Central Command, the control center was destroyed!

Yami Marik had destroyed it.

"Oh no! Now there's no way to stop the attack!" Noa cried.

15 minutes remained.

Noa quickly ran to the VR room with everyone's bodies in their pods.

He was working feverishly from a computer station there.

There were 10 minutes left.

Yugi and Joey were still battling monsters.

They suddenly heard Noa's voice.

"Everyone! Listen to me! The virtual world is about to be destroyed!" He warned.

Back in the Kaiba Corp. arena, where Kaiba and Gozaburo were having their duel, also heard the warning.

"Noa! Get down here, I'll give you the virtual butt-kicking of a lifetime!" Joey snapped at Noa.

"You've better let us out of here!" Kay yelled.

"Please listen! I'm sorry for the way I've treated you all. A satellite is set to destroy the main computer. You all must escape or your minds will be lost forever!" Noa continued.

8 minutes left.

"The only exit is the Domino Arcade." Noa said.

"Can we really trust him?" Cat asked.

"Trust Noa? Forget about it!" Joey snapped.

"Joey! We have no choice!" Honda pointed out.

Everyone then agreed to try it out.

"Don't try to pull anymore dirty tricks, Noa!" Joey snapped before everyone ran off.

Everyone finally reached the arcade until more of Gozaburo's monsters appeared again, chasing them!

Yugi and Joey stopped to fight them off.

"Everyone! Go on!" They both said.

"But I don't want to leave without you, Joey!" Shizuka protested.

"C'mon Shizuka." Anzu urged.

"Don't worry! This won't take long, Shizuka." Joey reassured her.

"Smash them!" Honda cheered.

Shizuka picked Honda up.

"You'd better come with us." Anzu said to him.

They ran inside.

"Go to the stage at the back of the arcade." Noa instructed them.

Shizuka, Honda and Anzu stepped onto the stage and they were transported back to their bodies inside the VR pods.

"It looks like we've been here all along." Anzu said.

"We made it back without any problems." Shizuka said.

The two girls paused when they looked at Honda, who was still making monkey noises, even though he was in his own body again.

"Honda, you're not a robot monkey anymore." Shizuka pointed out.

"He doesn't look all that different." Anzu commented.

Noa was still sitting at the controls.

"The others are ready. It looks like everyone's made it to the arcade." He said.

Yugi and Joey had finally finished their battle.

"Now let's get outta here!" Joey said.

"Proceed to the stage immediately!" Noa instructed them.

Duke, Joey, Cat and Kay headed for the exit while Yugi stayed behind to attack one more monster.

"Hurry up, Yug!" Joey yelled as they were teleported back to the real world.

Yugi walked up to the stage until Noa asked him to stop.

Joey woke up in his real body again. He sat up, intending to get out of the pod. But he didn't wait for it to open and he smashed his face against the glass.

"OW!" He cried, rubbing his face as the pod opened.

Everyone else got out and gathered around Noa.

"Where's Mokuba?" Cat asked.

"He's still in the virtual world with Yugi and Seto. That's why I asked Yugi to stay back." Noa explained.

Joey became furious.

"You asked Yugi to stay back for KAIBA?!" He snapped.

"Yugi, please go to Kaiba Corp. to bring Kaiba back. I'll create a virtual shortcut so you can reach him quickly." Noa said to Yugi.

Yugi nodded.

"Alright." He said.

A virtual door then appeared next to Yugi and he rushed through it.

"Why do you want to save Kaiba so badly? I thought you hated him." Anzu asked Noa.

"I was wrong. I'm sorry for treating you all the way I did." Noa said.

"I'm sorry too, for all the things I said to you, Noa." Joey apologized.

The computer then announced 4 minutes left.

"Hurry back to the blimp everyone!" Noa cried.

Everyone did so, but Joey stopped.

"You're the only one who can get those three out of there now. It's all up to you." Joey said before running off with the others.

"I know." Noa said.

Kaiba won the duel.

Gozaburo was so deviated and angry, he transformed into the red flame beast and attacked, just as Yugi reached Kaiba.

"Kaiba! Jump!" Yugi called.

Kaiba leapt down from the duel platform and into the elevator with the Gozaburo monster following them.

Kaiba and Yugi escaped onto the rooftop of the Kaiba Corp. tower.

The countdown had finally reached zero.

"Kaiba! Yugi! Head to the Domino arcade immediately!" Noa cried.

But the two were trapped on the edge of the roof, high above the street. Gozaburo had them trapped.

"Now I have you! You'll never escape!" Gozaburo roared.

"Yugi! Kaiba! Jump!" Noa then commanded.

Yugi and Kaiba looked hesitantly over the edge. But since they had no other option, they did so. Just as they were about to hit the ground, an exit opened up, returning them to the real world.

Noa then laid down in Mokuba's pod.

"Thank you Mokuba." He said before returning to the virtual world.

Kaiba and Yugi woke up and Kaiba spotted Mokuba in his pod.

Mokuba and Noa faced each other in the virtual world.

"Thank you Mokuba, for helping me." Noa said. "I'm glad I got to know my brother."

"Does this mean you're not coming back?" Mokuba asked.

"I will. I have to return to cyberspace first." Noa said before turning to go. "I'll be back."

"Why don't you come with me now?" Mokuba asked.

"Sorry, but there's still something I need to do." Noa said. "You helped me and treated me like a brother. And now it's my turn to return the favor." Noa began to walk away.

"Noa! Wait! Don't go!" Mokuba cried. But Noa faded into the distance and Mokuba suddenly heard Kaiba's voice, calling out to him to wake up.

Finally, Mokuba returned to the real world and sat up, looking at his brother.

"Seto! Noa's still inside!" He cried.

As the missile was coming closer towards the undersea fortress, Gozaburo was still on the Kaiba Corp. building's roof.

"I'll escape without a body, by uploading my mind to another network!" He said.

Noa then joined his father on the roof.

"Not a chance." He said. "I've sealed off all the exits, so there's no way you'll escape."

Yugi, Kaiba and Mokuba ran through the halls towards the blimp as the computer warned them to evacuate immediately.

Mokuba wondered to himself, why Noa had to go back.

Gozaburo picked Noa up in his hand (Gozaburo's still in his monster form and he's huge!).

"What makes you tink you can stop me?!" He snapped.

But instead of answering, Noa dissolved and reappeared behind him.

"I can control this place as well." He said.

"Why would you choose all those other kids over me?" Gozaburo asked.

"At least they believed in me! I'm sorry, but I can't let you hurt them. And that's why I'm keeping you trapped in here." Noa said.

Yellow digital bands suddenly bound Gozaburo.

"Noa! Release me, right now!" Gozaburo demanded.

Noa suddenly appeared on his Gozaburo's neck. "I'll make sure you never hurt anyone ever again." He said.

The airship was taking off, because they couldn't wait for Yugi, Kaiba and Mokuba any longer.

But everyone suddenly spotted the three running after the blimp. A ramp at the back of the blimp was opened and everyone was there.

"Hurry!" They called.

Duke, Honda and Joey ran down the steps of the ramp to reach for them.

"I won't make it!" Mokuba said to himself.

But just as he said that, Kaiba picked him up by the shirt and flung him onto the entryway, hitting poor Duke in the face along the way. Kaiba jumped onto the ship after he tossed Mokuba.

Joey reached out for Yugi and pulled him up.

Luckily for everyone, the airship cleared the platform just as the missile hit.

The virtual world was beginning to flicker out.

Gozaburo's body then broke up, along with Noa.

The explosion rattled the airship and everyone inside was tossed about.

Kaiba was the only one who kept his balance.

Mai was still unconscious in her bed.

Ishizu was waiting calmly in her room, while Yami Marik in another room, was smiling at the destruction.

Kaiba ran into the bridge and took control of the blimp, blasting clear just in time.

But then, suddenly, the monster form of Gozaburo rose from the flames.

"You will never escape me, Seto!" Gozaburo screamed, as his jaws were about to close over the airship.

"I'll never let the old man win!" Kaiba said before he smashed an emergency control that made the body of the blimp fall away, transforming into a jet plane.

The afterburners kicked in and the jet flew away, free.

Everyone looked out the windows of the ship.

"Noa might have been a spoiled brat when we met him, but he turned out all right." Joey said.

"I wonder if Noa's mind was destroyed when the computer was destroyed." Cat wondered.

"If I know Noa, he saved his mind on a backup file." Yugi said.

Mokuba nodded.

"Noa will be back." He agreed before calling out, "See you around, Noa!"

Kaiba then entered the room.

"That detour was a complete waste of time." He said as the duel ship approached Kaiba Corp. Island for the finals.


	23. Her Destiny

The ship finally landed on Kaiba Corp. Island.

Everyone headed off the ship.

"Cat." Ishizu said, before Cat walked off the ship too.

Cat turned and looked at Ishizu. "Hm? Yes?" She asked.

"May I please speak with you? It is very important." Ishizu asked. "The Pharaoh also needs to hear of this, but I'm afraid he'll have to wait a little longer since he has a tournament to be in."

"O…okay." Cat said hesitantly, wondering what Ishizu wanted to tell her.

Everyone gathered at the base of the Duel Tower.

"This island is the site of the original Kaiba Corporation, but I tore it down. Now I plan to defeat Yugi at the top of my Duel Tower." Kaiba told everyone.

Yugi switched to Yami and Joey wasn't' too happy about being ignored.

"Hey! I'm in the tournament too, ya know!" Joey snapped. "I'll duel circles around ya!"

"You shouldn't even be in my tournament." Kaiba said to Joey. "Amateur."

Honda had to hold Joey back from attacking Kaiba.

"Save it for your duel!" Honda said.

Duke looked around.

"You know…I just realized something. Where's Cat?" He asked.

Yami looked at him.

"She's not here?" He asked. "Is she still on the blimp?"

"Cat, being the person I think she is, probably didn't realize we've landed and is still in there." Kay said with a smile, trying not to laugh. "Sounds just like her. Should we go get her?"

"Well…we should check on her…to make sure she's at least alright." Yami said.

Kay grinned at his response.

Just then, Shizuka ran out of the blimp.

"Yugi!" She said as she ran up to him. "Cat asked me to tell you that she'll catch up to you guys soon. Ishizu asked her to stay behind for a moment."

"Oh! Well, I guess that solves that mystery!" Kay said.

Yami nodded.

"Alright." He said. "Thank you for telling me, Shizuka."

Everyone then walked into the Duel Tower, Kaiba leading the way.

Cat and Ishizu sat in Ishizu's room.

She had a table in her room and the two sat across from each other.

"So…what was it you needed to tell me?" Cat asked.

Ishizu closed her eyes.

"Cat…you didn't come to Domino City on your own free will, did you?" She asked.

"No…not really." Cat answered.

"Right. And if I have heard correctly, then it was the Dark Magician Girl that brought you here, correct?" Ishizu asked, opening her eyes again.

Cat nodded.

"I see. Then there is no mistake about it." Ishizu said. "Cat, I understand you're still trying to seek your answer to the questions, "Why am I here? What is my destiny?" I can tell you those answers."

Cat's eyes widened slightly and she leaned in a little.

"You can?!" She gasped. "Please, tell me!"

"I shall. But first, I must ask a question of my own." Ishizu said. "Cat, are you familiar with the Tablet of Memories?"

Cat blinked and thought for a moment.

"I think so. The Pharaoh told me about it once." She replied.

"Good. Then you understand that it's connected to his past, right?" Ishizu continued.

"Yes." Cat answered simply.

"Very good. Well then, did you know that there is another tablet that the Pharaoh hasn't seen yet?" Ishizu asked.

"There's another one?" Cat asked.

Ishizu nodded.

"Yes. And it appears to be connected to the Tablet of Memories. Not only that but it also has a connection to the Pharaoh…and you." She said.

"What? Me?" Cat asked.

"Yes. On the stone tablet, there was a carving of the Pharaoh, the same one you and I know, and the same one on the Tablet of Memories. But the Pharaoh wasn't alone. A girl was standing beside him. A girl with a striking resemblance to you." Ishizu explained.

Cat looked shocked.

"B-but that…" She started, but couldn't find the words to continue.

"I was soon curious in finding out who this girl was." Ishizu continued. "So I did plenty of research. And it was one day, I finally found out most of the details. The girl's name was "Luna". She was the lover of the Pharaoh and was engaged to him before he had to seal himself within the Millennium Puzzle and erase his memory. They never wedded. Luna was about your age and she was the Princess of a small moon tribe. A tribe that history knows little about because it was so insignificant. According to what I've learned, Luna had ran away from her kingdom, because her father was going to make her wed a man she didn't love."

Cat slapped her hands against the table.

"Wait a minute! Did you say, "Luna"?!" She asked.

"Indeed I did." Ishizu said with a nod.

Cat's jaw dropped. The same Luna that owned this cartouche that Cat wore around her neck, before her?

"Continuing on. Once the Pharaoh had sealed himself away to save the world, Luna had no choice but to be sent back to her kingdom. She was forced to wed the man she did not love and was abused by her husband. Luna was forced to bare her husband's child, but Luna had died after she gave birth to the baby. Mostly from heartbreak. And the fact that her body was so weak because of the abuse she received from her husband. If what I've read is right, his name was "Koe"." Ishizu said.

Cat felt tears brim in her eyes.

"That's…so horrible! It's…so sad!" She cried.

"Indeed. But it appears that you are Luna's descendant. And she is your ancestor. I believe the biggest prove is the silver cartouche you wear around your neck." Ishizu said.

Cat looked down at her necklace.

"I received this from my grandmother before she died. She explained to me that before, it had Luna's name on it. But somewhere, overtime, the name changed to "Cat". It's really weird. Do you know the reason behind this?" She asked.

"I do. But I'm afraid that it's too early to tell you why. I hope you understand." Ishizu said.

Cat nodded silently.

Ishizu stood up.

"That is all I wanted to tell you. I shall tell the Pharaoh about how you're the descendant of his long lost lover." She said before smiling at Cat. "Maybe that's why he said that he felt like he had a strong connection with you."

Cat blinked and stood up.

"Ishizu…thank you for telling me this." She said. "Things seem a lot more clear now."

"I'm glad." Ishizu said. "Now you'd better head off. I believe everyone's expecting you to return soon."

Cat nodded.

"Right. Thanks again!" She said before running off.


	24. The Loss of a Friend, The Will to Fight

(Note: I'm going to skip a lot of things in the finals, just so you know. There hasn't been a lot of character development in Cat's department, so I need to work on that too. Lol.

So I'm skipping the Four-way duel, Joey's duel with Marik and the last two duels. Sorry about that. ;)

"The duel is over!" Roland announced.

Everyone looked on in horror. Joey had just lost the duel against Marik. He laid unconscious on the dueling platform.

Mokuba leapt up onto the platform.

"Forget the duel!" He said Roland and shook Joey. "Wake up!"

"Marik is the winner!" Roland announced.

Mokuba gasped.

"He's not breathing!" He cried.

Everyone looked horrified and rushed up onto the platform.

"Roland! We have to get Joey downstairs right away! He needs to see a doctor!" Mokuba ordered.

Kaiba watched, thinking to himself.

He never would have thought that Joey could withstand an attack by the most powerful Egyptian God card.

"There goes another soul into the dark abyss." Marik said.

Honda lifted Joey by the shoulders and shook him. "Joey! Wake up!" He cried.

"Joey...please no!" Shizuka cried.

Honda then held Joey up by the shirt.

"Stop fooling around and get up!" He shouted before he was about to punch him.

"Honda! Calm down!" Duke said as he stopped him. "Mokuba, where is that doctor?!"

"They're on their way." Mokuba said as Honda screamed out in frustration.

Yami stood by, completely frozen.

"Fight it..." He said to Joey.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit form, falling to his knees, crying.

"We can't lose Joey!" He cried.

Kay stared at Joey with a sad frown on her face.

"That idiot...he was one turn away from winning..." She said quietly.

Kaiba frowned.

"His performance with quite impressive...maybe he's not the third-rate amateur I thought he was." He mummered to himself.

Marik laughed.

"Now that Joey's out of the way, I'm one duel away from world domination!" He laughed.

"Shut up!" Yami snapped. "Joey's not dead yet!"

"He will be soon." Marik said smugly before turning and walking away.

Finally, the stretcher arrived and took Joey away.

"You're all wasting your time." Marik said to everyone as he passed by. "Joey will never awaken."

Everyone followed the stretcher except for Yami, who stood alone in the middle of the duel ring.

"The next semi-final will take place in one hour!" Roland announced.

"I've been waiting for this moment, Yugi. Victory will be mine." Kaiba said to Yami.

"Once I know Joey's alright, I'll deal with you." Yami said, before walking to the elevator.

"I'll see you in one hour." Kaiba said.

Joey laid on a bed in the infirmary on the ship, wired up to machines.

"His brain is functioning normally and his heart rate is fine." The doctor said to everyone.

"He doesn't look fine!" Anzu cried. "He hasn't moved or spoken in twenty minutes!"

Shizuka was weeping at Joey's side.

"Please...open your eyes." She wept.

"It's very strange. His brain activity is quite high, but he's not conscious at all." The doctor said.

Ishizu walked in thinking to herself that Joey's will must be quite strong to stay alive. But there is nothing medical science can do for him.

Ishizu placed her hands on Shizuka's shoulders.

"It's all right." She said. "Both of our brother's must now battle the darkness."

Mokuba soon showed up at the door, looking down at the floor.

"When are we moving Joey to a real hospital?" Cat asked, rubbing her eyes from the tears.

"I've got bad news...we're not moving Joey. Seto's orders." He said.

Honda ran up to him.

"You've got to be kidding!" He cried.

"Seto said that our own doctors are good enough. Besides, the ship's engines were damaged escaping from the explosion on our way to the island. We made it here, but now the engines are down. But don't worry. I'll radio headquarters for a helicopter to come and get Joey." Mokuba explained.

"Thank you Mokuba." Yami said.

"No problem. Just promise me that you won't tell Seto." Mokuba said before running off.

Yami stood by Joey's bedside with Yugi next to him in spirit.

"It's all my fault this happened to him." Yugi said before falling to his knees. He began to cry on the bed. "Please don't die, Joey! I should have faced Marik!"

"No." Yami said before going out into the hallway, Yugi beside him on his hands and knees, still sobbing.

"Marik is pure evil!" Yugi cried. "First he got Mai, then Bakura, and now this! It's not fair! Maybe we should just stop fighting! It just seems to make things worse!"

Yami switched off his duel disk.

"Just wait. We've come too far to stop." He said. "I know this is hard for you. Marik is the toughest foe we've ever faced. But if we walk away now, Marik wins."

Yugi looked up at him.

"That's true." He said before standing up. "Joey never gave up. And neither should we. We have to finish what we started, no matter what."

Yugi then faded back into the puzzle.

Yami glared furiously.

"Marik's madness has to stop!" He said to himself before slamming his fist into the wall. "I won't give up if Joey doesn't. Keep fighting Joey."

Yami turned to face the wall, leaning on his arm.

"Marik's path is so unpredictable. I don't know what's next. It's all so unclear."

Suddenly, in spirit form, Joey appeared in the hall next to him.

"Maybe it doesn't have to be." He said. "Check your pocket."

Yami then looked up at Joey, but he was already gone.

Just then, Yami's pocket began to glow. Yami pulled it out. It was the Millennium Necklace!

Yugi appeared next to him in spirit again and watched as Yami held it in his hand.

"Ishizu gave this to us. But the last time she used it to predict the future, it was wrong. Can I trust what it shows me?"

All of the sudden, the Millennium Necklace showed Yami a vision of him standing in the city street, facing Joey.

"Now that that's all over with, let's duel!" Joey said, determined.

"Maybe the Millennium Necklace is telling me that Joey's going to be okay." Yami said before hearing the announcement.

"Duelists! Please come to the arena for the second semi-final!"

"I have to believe in what the Necklace predicted. Soon this insanity will be over and Joey will be all right. I just have to get past Kaiba so I can duel Marik." Yami said to himself before switching his Duel Disk back on.

Cat was watching him from the doorway of the infirmary and smiled, happy he got his strength back.

Quietly, she returned back into the room.

Mokuba was trying to reach Kaiba Corporation to call for a helicopter.

"Ugh, the radio isn't working for some reason." He said to himself, frustrated.

Yami returned into the infirmary.

"Joey's condition is the same." Honda said to Yami. "But knowing Joey, he's doing whatever it takes to wake up."

Yami walked up to Joey's bedside and looked down at him before picking up Joey's Duel Disk and slipping it onto Joey's arm.

"He would want to close by. For his toughest fight yet." He said. "Everyone, please look after him."

Yami walked out into the hallway to go to his next duel.

Anzu ran after him.

"I can't believe that you're really going to duel!" She cried. "Have you forgotten how many people have gotten hurt in the tournament so far? I can't stand the thought of losing you too."

"If I walk away now, everyone's suffered for nothing." Yami replied. "Remember the Egypt exhibition at the Domino Museum?"

"Yeah...that's where we found out that you were a Pharaoh in ancient Egypt. And now you're supposed to save the world from evil, just as you did 3,000 years ago." She said, remembering.

"I must win a Duel Monsters tournament in order to fulfill my destiny." Yami said. "When Joey found out, he vowed to help. If I give up now, I'd not only be giving up on Joey, but the entire world. Stay with Joey, while I take care of Kaiba."

"But...!" Anzu began to protest.

"You have to trust him." Cat said to Anzu, walking out and standing next to her. Yami and Anzu looked at her.

Cat looked down a little.

"I don't want him to go and risk himself either...but...there's no other choice. He's doing this because he wants to save Joey, Mai, Bakura and prevent the same thing from happening to everyone in the entire world! It's his destiny." She said before hugging herself with one arm and looking up again. "And saving the world will always have some sort of sacrifice."

Cat paused, remembering Luna and the Pharaoh. How they had to sacrifice their future together so the world could be safe. But I truly know that there won't be any sacrifices, because I'm sure when Yami wins, everything will be fine again. If he can save the world once, he can do it again." She smiled. "And there is no one on earth that I trust more that Yami, to save the world."

Honda, Kay and Duke came out, hearing the last part of Cat's speech.

Yami smiled at her.

"Thank you, Cat." He said.

"Yeah! Go get 'em Yugi!" Honda urged.

"We know you can win!" Duke cheered.

"I will." Yami said before walking off.

Once Yami was out of sight, Anzu turned to Cat and glared at her.

"Why did you let him go like that?" She asked. "I know you were only trying to encourage him, but don't you care what happens to him at all?"

"Of course I care." Cat said. I care a lot. But even if I hadn't said anything, I don't think you would still be able to stop him."

"And what makes you think that?" Anzu asked, still frowning at Cat.

"Well...his determination is strong." Cat sighed. "He wants to protect us and the world from meeting the same fate as Joey, Mai and Bakura. I don't think anyone can stop him from trying to save his friends. Besides...you and I are both scared of losing him, right? You do realize that if he just walked away, we would have lost him anyways, right? Plus, all of us...we would lose each other. I think...it's better that he fights his best."

"But you don't understand! You don't understand the bond that me, Joey, and Honda share with him! You've hardly just became his friend! You don't have a bond!" Anzu protested.

Cat looked at the wall, hard.

"Actually..." She paused, remembering Ishizu's words. Cat figured maybe she shouldn't tell them now. "No...nevermind." She smiled. "We should be watching Joey."

Cat then returned to the infirmary without another word.

After a moment, Kay, Honda and Duke followed her.

Anzu continued to frown at the doorway with an angry and worried look. She remembered back in the virtual world after Cat had defeated Crump. How Cat and the Pharaoh were.

"She was about to say that she did have a bond with him." She said to herself. "Just what kind of bond DOES she have with him?"

Anzu continued to wonder this as she walked back into the infirmary.


	25. Road to the Final Battle

"If Yugi doesn't show up soon, you will automatically win the duel, Mr. Kaiba." Roland said.

"Yugi would be a fool not to show up." Kaiba said. "Thanks to Katsuya's little mishap, Yugi's wasting his time in the medical ward. But even Yugi's pathetic friends can keep me away from our duel!"

Yugi, in spirit form, wiped his eyes as him and Yami rode the elevator to the next duel.

"We mustn't let Joey's struggle interfere with our concentration." Yami said. "In order to overcome Marik, we must get past Kaiba."

Yugi nodded before fading back into the Millennium Puzzle.

Yami finally arrived at the top of the tower and faced Kaiba. "So, you decided to show up after all." Kaiba said.

"Of course. To miss this duel is to deny my destiny." Yami said.

"Spare me the drama." Kaiba said as the dueling platform began to rise. He smiled. "Why isn't the nerd herd here to cheer you on? Are they still trying to wake Katsuya up from his nap?"

"Joey is in a great deal of danger!" Yami said angrily.

"Katsuya shouldn't have been here in the first place. I warned him not to play with the big boys. If a slap in the face by Ra didn't teach him any sense, then nothing will." Kaiba said.

Yami clenched his fists. "That's enough! You have no idea how dangerous this Duel Monsters tournament has become! The outcome of the Battle City finals could put the whole world at risk!" He snapped.

"The only one at risk is you. Once I win, you won't be number one anymore." Kaiba said.

"It's not always about being number one, Kaiba. It's about dueling with bravery, honor, and respect, and putting the needs of others ahead of your own. That's something Joey did everyday of his life, and that's why he's in the hospital now! Because he put himself at risk to keep a promise to a friend." Yami said.

"Pathetic." Kaiba said. "Katsuya can do whatever he wants. But I'm in this for one reason only; to win the tournament and be recognized as the greatest duelist in the world! As far as I'm concerned, Katsuya never belonged here in the first place."

Shizuka continued to weep at Joey's side.

Honda quickly jumped up. "I think I saw his hand move!" He cried. Everyone stared at his hand.

"It's just a reflex." Duke said.

"Why isn't that emergency chopper here yet?" Honda wondered before running off to find Mokuba.

"Hang in there Joey." Shizuka said.

"When did this tournament get so out of control? It's not fair! Why should my friends have to suffer?" Anzu cried.

"You must have faith in the light, Anzu." Ishizu said. Cat sat by Shizuka, watching Joey with her. "I know I'm probably not 100 accurate when I say this, but I have a strong feeling that Joey's gonna be alright." She said quietly. Shizuka looked up at her.

"What makes you think that?" She asked.

"Your brother is strong. You know that. He's not going to give up to the darkness that easily. I mean…he's still alive, right? Plus, I have faith in Yami. I'm sure he can save Joey and everyone else." Cat said.

Shizuka smiled a little. "Yeah." She agreed.

Honda finally found Mokuba in the control room.

"What's up with the rescue team?!" He asked.

"I can't get through." Mokuba said. "Something's interfering with our communications." Honda then snatched the headset away and began to shout into it.

"Although, I'm still worried." Shizuka said, staring at her brother.

"Joey will get some help soon. Honda and Mokuba are working on it now." Anzu promised.

"If they've been gone this long, something must be wrong." Duke said, all gloomy like.

"You're not helping." Kay said, glaring at Duke.

Shizuka looked even more worried. Duke noticed this and quickly changed his tune. "J-Joey will be on his feet in no time!" He said with a smile.

"That's right." Cat said. "We have to have faith."

Anzu moved to the window and looked out it. "I hope Yugi's alright." She said. Cat looked at Anzu for a moment, wondering if Anzu was mad at her for some reason.

"The radio still isn't working." Mokuba said after trying to contact headquarters.

"Maybe it would be faster to just fix the engine." Honda suggested.

"The crew is working on it, but it's in bad shape." Mokuba said.

All of the sudden, the lights flickered and came on. Along with the radio. "An emergency helicopter is being dispatched immediately." The people on the radio said. "The helicopter is on its way!" Mokuba said with a smile.

Honda grinned and ran off to tell Shizuka. Mokuba then transmitted the duel to TV screens all over the city so that everyone could watch Yami and Kaiba's duel, before running off to watch it in person.

The duel had raged on between Yami and Kaiba. Honda had already returned to the infirmary to report that a helicopter was on its way. Kay, Honda, Cat, Duke, Shizuka and Anzu were watching the duel from the windows of the ship. But all they could see is light coming from the Duel Tower.

"Joey needs to see this." Honda insisted with tears in his eyes. "It might wake him up."

Honda then pulled Joey free form the electrodes monitoring his condition and dragged him over to the window, holding him up.

"Open your eyes and look! Yugi's in trouble and he needs your help, Joey!" He said.

An hour has passed and the duel was still going. (Okay, I don't know if that's true, but I dun wanna write out the whole duel! It's so long! )

Honda was still holding Joey up to the window, watching the duel with the others. But before anyone noticed, Joey's eyes slowly opened and the light returned to his eyes.

Cat gasped. "Guys look! Joey!" She cried.

Everyone looked at Joey, realizing his eyes were open.

"Joey! Are you awake?" Duke asked.

"Say something!" Shizuka said. Joey lifted his head and looked around.

"What's going on?" He asked. "Did someone get hurt?"

"Yes! Someone was knocked unconscious!" Honda said annoyed.

"Oh, I was the one?" Joey asked.

Shizuka rushed over and hugged Joey after Honda let go of him. Everyone was near tears, happy to see that Joey was okay.

"He's awake?" The doctor asked, astonished. "Someone in his condition could never recover that fast!"

Honda then suddenly grabbed Joey by the shirt. "Don't ever pull that again!" He snapped before bursting into tears. "You had the girls worried…of course I knew all along that you'd be okay."

Joey looked baffled at Honda's outburst. He suddenly remembered his duel with Marik and how he was fighting to save Mai. Joey turned to look at Mai, still lying unconscious on the bed next to Joey's while everyone stood by, silent. Joey rushed over to Mai, shaking her.

"Wake up, Mai!" He cried. "I was sure beating Marik would save you!"

"Um…Joey…You have to know…" Shizuka started. Joey turned around.

"What?" He asked.

"You lost the duel." Cat said, finishing Shizuka's sentence.

"But I remember summoning Gearfried the Iron Knight and crushing him!" Joey protested.

"You were playing a Shadow Game." Cat reminded him. "Marik was draining your strength. You did manage to summon a monster strong enough to defeat Marik, but before you could call your attack, you passed out."

Joey was silent with shock for a moment; then began to tear up.

"I'm sorry Mai…I couldn't save you." He said. While this was happening, the Kaiba Corp. helicopter arrived. Joey then grabbed Shizuka by the shoulders.

"What's happened with Yugi?" He asked.

"Yugi's dueling Kaiba." Anzu replied.

"I have to get up there right now!" Joey cried.

"You can't go." Anzu protested, but Joey was quickly putting on his shoes.

"Yugi needs me!" Joey cried and ran from the room.

"Hey! Get back in here and get back into bed!" The doctor shouted at Joey. While in the hallway, Joey ran into the medical team from the helicopter.

"Excuse me, can you tell us where the patient is?" One of the men asked. Everyone caught up with Joey.

"The patient…is standing right there." The doctor said reluctantly, pointing at Joey. "He was nearly in critical condition a minute ago."

"It was five minutes ago! And I'm fine now!" Joey said before putting on his goofy fierce face. "I'm in the best shape of my career!"

"It's too dangerous for you to leave now! You need to be examined." The doctor insisted.

"I'm all right!" Joey said before he began to run off again.

"Listen to the doctor!" Anzu yelled, stopping Joey. "You were just in really bad shape and everyone was worried sick about you! And I'm upset because a lot of people have been getting hurt in this tournament!"

"I'm sorry I worried you all. But I have to go and be there for Yugi!" Joey explained. "I came back for a reason. I made a promise to Yugi, to help him defeat Marik."

Anzu then remembered Yami telling her before he left to his duel with Kaiba, that Joey vowed to help him defeat Marik and save the world.

"My mind is made up. I'm going out there." Joey said.

"I…understand." Anzu said.

"Shizuka! Take care of Mai!" Joey called before running back down the hallway.

"Joey! Come back here!" The doctor continued to shout. Everyone else followed Joey.

"Kaiba…hatred never triumphs." Yami said after Yami had just won the duel.

"I…I can't believe I lost! I had the perfect strategy!" Kaiba cried.

"I think you were fighting for all the wrong reasons, and in the end, it was your own anger and jealousy that did that to you." Yami said. The dueling platform lowered and Yami was declared the winner. Joey, Cat, Kay, Honda, Duke, Kay, and Anzu ran to them. Yami looked surprised and happy to see Joey.

"Joey!" He said. "How did you wake up?" Joey grinned and shook his hand.

"I'd never let a freak show like Marik get the best of me! Besides, I promised you that I'd help you beat Marik, so here I am!" He said.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit form, weeping happily.

"That's awesome!" He cried. "Everyone's together again!"

"That was some ending, the way my Red-Eyes Black Dragon came through and helped you win, Yug!" Joey said.

"You were snoozing, Joey. But your Dragon wasn't!" Honda said. Joey laughed.

"Either way, I was there for my pal!" He said.

"That's right. If it weren't for you, Joey, I would have never beaten Kaiba." Yami said.

Meanwhile, Mokuba fell to his knees, heartbroken by Kaiba's loss. Kaiba stood alone, staring at his Duel Disk, wondering how his cards and strategies could have failed him.

Yami walked up to Kaiba. "That was the most challenging duel I've ever fought." He said.

"Save it." Kaiba growled.

"Destiny may have chosen me to be the victor, but you fought well." Yami said.

"I don't need the pep talk." Kaiba said.

"You haven't learned anything from our duel, have you?" Yami asked. "You can never truly succeed until you've conquered the monsters in your heart. You were doomed from the start, fueled by your anger and hate, and by your denial of your past. But I was fueled by my faith in my destiny and my friends. Even though Joey was unconscious for most of the duel, it was like Joey was right there with me. I couldn't have won without him. I didn't win the duel alone. Me and Joey did it together, using the card Joey gave me. The Red-Eyes Black Dragon is no ordinary card. Its strength comes from the bond of my friendship with Joey. And it means that I never duel alone."

Kaiba clenched his fists in anger. "Every single one of you is alone!" He snapped. "I've never had to ask for anyone's help!"

"That's not true." Yami said. "I've helped you plenty of times and you've helped me. I wouldn't be the duelist I am today if you hadn't pushed me to be my best. You may be one of my toughest rivals, but I also consider you as a friend. Deep down, I believe that you feel the same way, Kaiba. You're just too caught up in your need for power to realize it."

"Friendship is for fools." Kaiba growled. "I duel alone. Depending on others is for the weak, and my future is in my own two hands! I'm not interested in having any pals to slow me down. It's time for me to accept my defeat like a man. Since there's no one else I rely on, there's no one else I can blame." Kaiba then flung his God card at Yami and began to walk away.

"Let's go, Mokuba." Mokuba followed Kaiba as he walked past Yami and everyone else. Kay followed him too.

"Kaiba, wait!" Joey called. "How about I duel you for third place? Unless you're scared of losing to me!" Kaiba ignored Joey. Joey frowned and ran in front of Kaiba, stopping him. "You just think you're too good for the rest of us! I used to be a stubborn jerk just like you! I picked on everyone else, but inside, I felt alone! Then when I was in a tough situation, Yugi stuck up for me! I realized that looking out for other people actually makes you stronger! Yugi changed my life that day, and I've seen Yugi stick out his neck for you lots of times! But have you ever said "Thank you"? Take away your Kaiba Corp. flunkies and who do you have on your team?" Joey snapped.

"Please tell me your done!" Kaiba said. "All this nonsense about friendship is starting to bore me." Kaiba said.

"He's right! The last thing Seto needs is a lecture from you!" Mokuba jumped in at Joey.

"How can you defend Kaiba after what he said?" Joey asked Mokuba. "If Kaiba's happy being alone, he doesn't need you, Mokuba! He doesn't need anyone!"

Mokuba looked speechless.

"Kaiba's done nothing but bust his chops about his dueling skills ever since we've met him! But now it seems he's afraid of losing to me!" Joey said.

"Watch it, Katsuya." Kaiba growled. "You won't like how it turns out."

"I'll take my chances." Joey said.

"Dueling you would be a waste of time. I'd crush you!" Kaiba said.

"Prove it!" Joey snapped.

"Fine." Kaiba said. "All the friends in the world won't save you."

Outside of the Duel Tower, Joey and Kaiba were about face off.

"I'll destroy you, even without my Egyptian God card." Kaiba said.

"Take your best shot!" Joey said.

"I won't need my best shot." Kaiba said.

"Fine! Then take your worst shot, for all I care!" Joey said.

Kay had her arms crossed over her chest and frowned at Joey. "He really doesn't know when to quit, does he?" She asked. "Sometimes that kid annoys me."

"I've never seen Joey look this confident." Duke said.

Yami nodded. "Joey's come a long way to get where he is today." He said. Cat stood aside from everyone, watching.

"Oh boy…here we go. Joey vs. Kaiba." She sighed before her eyes suddenly went blank.

"Cat…will you please take me to my sister?" Marik asked. Without responding, Cat walked away to the ship.

Cat and Ishizu met at the foot of the steps. Ishizu was leaving the ship.

"The time is near…sister." Marik said through Cat.

"Marik." Ishizu said, realizing that her brother's good side was back.

She remembered when Marik's good side first appeared to her on the ship to warn her to protect Odion.

"I've been in Cat's mind long enough to learn the truth about our past." Marik said through Cat. "I heard what you told the others about our family. Now I know that it was my dark side that killed my father. And you came here to save me from myself. Despite everything I've done in my quest for power, you knew that there was till some good within me. But now that good is almost completely extinguished."

"If the evil Marik wins the final battle, I fear your good side might be gone forever." Ishizu said. "And the entire planet will suffer greatly."

"I can't let one duel decide the fate of the world. It's time for me to step in and reclaim my body." Marik said. Marik-controlled Cat ran to the Duel Tower.

"Marik!" Ishizu called out.

Yami Marik stood on top of the Duel Tower. "Just what did Kaiba and Yugi see in the Millennium Rod's vision?" He wondered.

The Millennium Rod had showed Yugi and Kaiba about their pasts during their duel. But Yami Marik didn't see it. Yami Marik looked at the Millennium Rod.

"Show me the visions that you showed Kaiba and the Pharaoh!" The Millennium Rod didn't respond to him and Yami Marik growled furiously before throwing it against the ground. Cat, still controlled by Marik, picked it up.

"You, girl!" Yami Marik said to Cat. "Return the Millennium Rod! You're meddling with forces beyond your control!"

Yami Marik moved over to take it back, but the Rod glowed and rejected him, throwing Yami Marik back.

"What's going on? No one can use the Millennium Rod but me!" He cried in shock.

Joey and Kaiba's duel was continuing. Yami was watching the duel until his Millennium Puzzle began to glow in response to the activity of the Millennium Rod.

"Why is it glowing?" He wondered. "It can't be good." He picked it up and looked at it, and for a moment, he saw a brief glimpse of Cat in the Puzzle. "Something's happened to Cat!" He exclaimed to himself. "I have to go find her now!"

"What's going on, Pharaoh?" Anzu asked.

"Something's happened to who?" Honda asked.

"Good luck Joey!" Yami called before running off to the duel tower, not answering his friend's questions.

"Say what? Where is he goin?" Joey asked. Everyone shrugged.

Marik-controlled Cat backed Yami Marik up to the railing of the Duel Tower with the Millennium Rod.

"I see what's going on. My good half here, has taken refuge within Cat." Yami Marik said.

"It's my responsibility to stop you!" Marik said.

"You don't exist anymore. It's my body now!" Yami Marik said.

"I know. And I've returned to reclaim it from you!" Marik said.

"You're too weak and I'm the real Marik now, thanks to Odion's accident."

"Odion…" Marik said. While remembering Odion distracted Marik, Yami Marik grabbed Cat's arm and threw her aside, snatching the Millennium Rod away.

Now Marik-controlled Cat was back up against the railing while Yami Marik pressed the end of the Millennium rod against Cat's chin.

"I'll send you to the shadows, you fool." Yami Marik threatened. But Marik used Cat's body to leap up onto the railing in a handstand; turns and somersaults across the tower, away from Yami Marik.

Yami Marik activated the Millennium Rod and knocked Cat/Marik down.

"You're just prolonging your demise. It's time to end our little game." Yami Marik said before he began to use the Rod to wipe out the spirit of his other self.

"STOP!" Yami Marik stopped and looked up at the doorway, where Ishizu stood.

"Stay out of this." Yami Marik warned her. "I'll banish you to the shadows as well!"

"Begone!" Ishizu yelled. "You're not my brother!"

"It's too late for me." Marik said through Cat. "Forget about me…you must stop my evil half." With that, Marik faded and Cat passed out.

"Prepare to be sent to eternal darkness!" Yami Marik said to Ishizu. He began to activate the Rod, but was stopped again.

"Stop this, Marik!" Yami Marik looked over and saw the glow of the Millennium Puzzle in the Duel Tower elevator. "I've become quite popular today." Yami Marik said.

Yami walked out onto the Duel Tower. "You've gone far enough." Yami said.

Both of their Millennium Items began to glow, and darkness began to envelop the tower, only for a moment. The light quickly returned as Yami Marik called off his attack.

"Killing you like this would be too easy." He said. "I have something more fun in mind. Next time we meet, Pharaoh, your power will be mine." Yami Marik then walked away, laughing.

Yami quickly ran over to Cat.

"It's okay." Ishizu said, holding Cat up. "Cat should be fine soon."

"Why did she come here in the first place?" Yami asked, kneeling down next to her.

"The good side of my brother still lives in Cat's mind. But soon he'll be gone forever! Please…Pharaoh…save my brother." Ishizu explained.

It wasn't long until Cat came to, sitting up. "Where am I?" She asked. "And why am I here? The last thing I remember is Joey dueling Kaiba."

Yami helped Cat up.

"I'm a little freaked out about all this." Cat admitted. "I never sleepwalk, especially during the day!"

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit. "Should we tell Cat that Marik took over her mind?" He asked before pausing to think. "On second thought, maybe not."

"Did Joey ever finish his duel with Kaiba?" Cat asked.

"I left while they were still dueling." Yami said. "If we hurry, we should get there before it ends."

Joey had lost the duel. Mokuba cheered for his brother.

"You did okay, Joey. But you're still no match for my brother!" Mokuba said to Joey.

"I could have beaten you, Katsuya, blindfolded. And it was all a waste of time." Kaiba said before he began to walk away.

"Hold on! Just wait a minute!" Joey shouted at Kaiba.

"Let it go. It's over." Kaiba said.

"It's not over!" Joey snapped. "You may have beaten me this time, and you might beat me the next time, but I'm going to keep on coming back until I win! Jounouchi Katsuya doesn't give up!"

At this time, Cat and Yami had arrived.

"You'll never have the skills to defeat me." Kaiba said. That did it. Joey was so angry, he was about to go after Kaiba, but Honda and Duke held him back.

"It's not worth the effort, dude." Honda said. Joey sighed and calmed down.

"You're right. I dueled my best. And I made Kaiba sweat a couple of times." He said, pouting a little. Everyone began to leave to the final duel.

"I can't believe you, Yug! Cat! You didn't stick around to see the end of my duel! That's not cool!" Joey complained.


	26. Battle City Ends

"Lets go, Mokuba. Kay. "Kaiba said as he watched Yami, Cat, Joey and everyone else march off, Joey still complaining that Yami and Cat didn't get to see the last of his duel. "There's no reason to stick around this dump anymore."

"But there's one more duel." Kay reminded him. Ishizu then approached Kaiba.

"Kaiba…I am here to ask you to come to the final duel." She said. "The Pharaoh will need your help to defeat Marik and fulfill his destiny."

"No thanks." Kaiba said. "Battle City is over for me, and as soon as I put this behind me, the better. Now, leave me alone." Kaiba then started to walk away.

"Walking away now is a huge mistake." Ishizu warned him.

"Let me guess." Kaiba said. "You read that in one of your ancient fairy tales."

"Your own future is at stake." Ishizu said, causing Kaiba to stop. "I know that you're able to read the ancient text, and you know what is written on the stone." Ishizu said. "The sorcerer may have been the Pharaoh's rival, but he was also his friend. You must do this for Yugi, what the sorcerer did for the Pharaoh, three thousand years ago. Help his friend. Without you, Kaiba, Yugi can't save the world from destruction."

Kaiba was then about to leave again, without saying another word. "If you continue to deny your ancient heritage, the entire world will suffer because of your stubbornness. Your rivalry with Yugi has been in existence for thousands of years, and will continue to exist for all eternity. As a skilled sorcerer, he constantly challenged the Pharaoh, strengthening his skills in battle." Ishizu continued. "It was with his help that the Pharaoh was able to save his people. History is now repeating itself, and Yugi needs you."

"That's enough!" Kaiba said angrily. "I hosted this tournament in order to become Number One, not help Yugi."

"You're wrong. You were destined to put on this tournament, and if you leave now, you'll be turning your back on mankind." Ishizu said.

"The Duel Tower stands as a symbol of my hatred for my father. I can't stand the sight of it." Kaiba said.

"You're running away from your father then?" Ishizu taunted. "This is about more than you and your family."

"I designed this whole tournament, and I was robbed of my victory. But I can still bury my past by destroying the Duel Tower." Kaiba said. "Mokuba, Kay, prepare for detonation." Kay was frowning and Mokuba looked sad-eyed. "Did you hear me?!" Kaiba asked angrily.

"Oh, we heard you." Kay said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't think destroying the tower is going to solve anything. All it will do is cause more destruction and more hatred." Mokuba said.

"You don't have to let Yugi and everyone else be involved in your anger and hatred!" Kay exclaimed. Kaiba looked shocked at their reactions.

"I hated Yugi and the others at first too…but they fought for us on Pegasus's Island and rescued me from the Ghouls." Mokuba said. "They treated me as their friend." Mokuba was getting tears in his eyes. "Yugi was right…you are filled with hate. Remember what Yugi told you recently? That you were dueling for all the wrong reasons? He said you'd never succeed until you had defeated the monsters inside your heart."

"Yes. And remember when Joey told you that you guys were fighting a great duel? So why didn't you relax and have fun?" Kay reminded him.

"Why do you never smile anymore?" Mokuba asked. "Our childhood wasn't the best, but we had fun sometimes. I want it back to the way it was!"

"Those days are over." Kaiba said.

"They don't have to be!" Mokuba cried. "You can change! Instead of causing more damage, why won't you help Yugi win and prevent more damage? If you know the secret to defeating Marik, you should tell Yugi!" Kaiba looked up at the Duel Tower and stared at it. How could he help Yugi? The reason he organized the Battle City tournament was to defeat Yugi!

"I still can't believe that you two walked out on me when I needed you guys!" Joey continued to rant.

"It's not what you think, Joey." Yami said.

"We're sorry." Cat said with a sheepish smile. "Something weird happened."

"It's okay, Joey got his butt kicked, nothing new. They only thing you guys missed was watching Kaiba make him squirm." Honda said with a grin.

Joey began to steam.

"Easy up on Joey." Duke said. "He did a pretty good job."

"Kaiba just did a much better job!" Anzu added in. "He'll get him the next time or the time after that."

"Drop it and concentrate on Yugi!" Joey snapped. "He's about to fight the duel of his life against that evil creep, Marik!"

Yami turned to look at the Duel Tower. It was his turn to go on the field to face Marik. Cat looked up with him.

"So this is it, huh?" She asked. Yami nodded. "Heh, I wish Luna could see you now." Cat said with a smile. "I'd bet she'd love nothing more than to be with you; to watch her lov-" Cat soon realized what she was saying and slapped a hand over her mouth.

Yami looked at her curiously. "Luna? What are you talking about?" He asked. Cat held up her hands.

"Ah…ah…um…I-It's nothing really!" She said, panicking slightly, with a fake smile. She was supposed to wait for Ishizu to tell him!

"No, go on with what you were saying." Yami insisted. "Who is Luna and what were you talking about?" Cat began to sweat profusely.

"Ah…well…um…I…uh…" She was desperately trying to think up what to say next. Yami raised an eyebrow.

"Cat, are you hiding something from me?" He asked.

"Well…I…uh, W-we don't want to be late for your duel!" Cat said suddenly with her fake smile and laugh. "We can't have that, can we? L-let's go!" Cat quickly marched off to the tower.

Yami watched her go, looking confused. Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit. "Cat's acting a little strange." Yugi noted. "What do you think she was going to say?"

"I don't know." Yami said. "But she doesn't seem to want to tell me."

"Hmm." Yugi said, moving to a thinking pose. "It must be big. Personally, I would think you were the person she trusted most around here. Well…I'll guess we'll have to wait until after our duel. We can figure all this out later." Yami nodded.

"Yes."

(Yes, I am skipping the whole duel between Yami and Yami Marik. -gets hit with a ton of bricks- OW! Hey! HEY! Remember! It's too long! And I'm too lazy to write it all out! -gets hit with another ton of bricks- XX)

"Pharaoh, I am sorry. It was my duty to help you, but instead, I turned my back on you. I can't change the past, but I can start over. I'm proud to be a Tomb-Keeper, and I'm proud of my sister and my brother." Marik said after he was finally able to take over his body once again.

"Thank you, Marik." Odion said, who was back to normal and came to watch the duel.

"My family has waited three thousand years for the Pharaoh's return, and now I must fulfill my destiny, by helping the Pharaoh fulfill his. But first, the Pharaoh must have all three Egyptian God cards. I will honor the Ishtar name by surrendering the duel." Marik said, laying his hand on his deck. The Shadow Game faded.

"Thank you Pharaoh…for saving mankind." Ishizu said with a smile.

"It was all of us. I wouldn't have been victorious without everyone's help." Yami said.

"Battle City is officially over! And the winner is, Yugi Motou!" Roland announced. Everyone cheered loudly before climbing up onto the dueling platform.

"That was amazing the way every monster in your deck showed up, Yug!" Joey said before giving him a high-five.

"Ishizu, I'm sorry." Marik apologized to Ishizu.

"All that matters is that you're safe and has returned to the way you were." Ishizu said. "You've fulfilled your destiny and ended the mission of the Tomb-Keepers."

"Can all three of us start over and build a new life for ourselves?" Marik asked.

Ishizu nodded. "Yes. It's time for our family to start living in the light with the rest of mankind." She said.

Odion looked overcome by the thought.

"I'm glad you're back, Marik." Ishizu said. Kaiba then stepped onto the duel platform.

"As the organizer of the Battle City Tournament, I guess I should congratulate the winner. Even though you only won the duel due to Marik's forfeit." He said.

Yami smiled. "If you hadn't given me the card I needed, I would have lost the match right away." He said.

"Yugi! Remember the ante rule? You can now take Marik's rarest card. "Mokuba reminded him.

"Marik, the Pharaoh is going to need that God card soon." Ishizu said.

Marik walked over to Yami. "Everyone banished to the shadows by my dark side will return." He said. Everyone smiled happily.

"Thank you." Yami said. Marik then handed Yami the God card, the Winged Dragon of Ra. Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit.

"Now we have all three Egyptian God cards. But now that we have them, what are we supposed to do with them?" Yugi wondered.

"I have one more task to perform before my Tomb-Keeper's mission is complete." Marik said before taking off his shirt to show Yami the scars carved onto his back. "This is the secret to the Pharaoh's power. These markings were passed down through my family for three thousand years."

"We were taught that when the Pharaoh saved the world from destruction, he wiped his own memory clean. But he knew that someday, he would need his memory back, so he entrusted one family with the secret of unlocking his mind and his power." Ishizu explained. "Now that you have all three Egyptian God cards and the Millennium Puzzle, all you need to do is read the words on Marik's back."

"Can you read the words on Marik's back?" Cat asked.

"I'll try." Yami said before staring at the carvings on Marik's back, hard. "I don't know the ancient language, but something has come to me through the three Egyptian God cards." He remembered the stone tablet Ishizu showed him and realized that the Pharaoh's secret is sealed in stone.

"My mission is complete." Marik said before putting his shirt back on and handing the Millennium Rod and Ring to Yami.

"The victory celebration has gone on long enough. The Battle City Tournament is over, and if you'd like a free ride home, you'd better board the aircraft right now." Kaiba said. "If anyone's left on the island, Kaiba Corp. won't be responsible for their safety. In one hour this island will explode."

Joey and Honda began to freak out. "SAY WHAT?!" They cried.

"The Duel Tower will self-destruct in one hour, so get on the ship and go home." Kaiba said.

"But the ship's engines aren't working!" Anzu protested.

"It's all right. They've been repaired." Mokuba said.

Roland looked nervous. "Actually…no…" He disagreed quietly.

"Goodbye." Kaiba said and walked away, Mokuba and Kay following him.

"Can you believe that sore loser?" Joey exclaimed.

"Yeah! Kaiba loses the tournament, so he decides to trash the place!" Honda agreed.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba entered the control room in the tower. "Activate the detonators." Kaiba said to Mokuba.

Mokuba did so and entered the commands at the consoles.

"Is one hour enough time?" Kay asked.

"If the ship leaves now." Kaiba said.

"Yeah…everyone should be a safe distance away." Mokuba agreed.

Everyone ran to the ship and Joey ran to Mai's room, where Mai was still lying motionless in bed. Shizuka was still by her side. "Mai's not up." She said. Everyone gathered around.

"Mai…please wake up." Joey pleaded. "Yugi won the duel, so she's supposed to be all right!" Joey threw himself across her bed. "I'd give anything to have her back!" He said.

Shizuka covered her face and began to sob. But then suddenly, Mai opened one eye and grinned. Shizuka's sobs were really laughter. Everyone gasped in shock as Mai giggled.

Joey looked at her. She pointed at the confused/speechless/shocked Joey. "That expression is priceless." She said and started to rumple Joey. "Did Joey say he'd give anything to have me wake up? Good job on playing your part, Shizuka."

Shizuka giggled. "I just couldn't resist." She said.

"I knew that they were kidding all along." Anzu said, pretending she knew.

"That wasn't cool." Duke said.

"It was all in good fun." Mai said with a smile. "By the way, congratulations on your victory Yugi!"

"Thank you." Yami said. "Let's go." Everyone headed out into the hallway and they found Bakura (normal Bakura. Not Yami Bakura.) in the kitchen, sitting on the floor surrounded by food, eating.

"'Ey! Bakura! What are you doin', raiding the refrigerator?" Joey asked.

"I was gone for a long time!" Bakura said. "There's not much to eat in the shadows!" Everyone then went to the bridge.

"Hey? Where's Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba?" Cat asked. "They haven't boarded yet."

"This ship isn't going anywhere without them!" Roland insisted.

"Wait a minute! This island is going to blow up soon!" Honda reminded Roland.

"Kaiba's not that dumb. I'm sure he's hopping aboard his private jet right now." Joey said.

"We can't take that chance." Roland said.

"That's right. We probably should go look for them." Honda said.

"Don't leave without us!" Joey said to Roland before they started to head out. But back where the pilots were, they were trying to start the engine.

"The engine isn't working! Now what?" The pilot asked.

Everyone stood before the Duel Tower. "Why would Kaiba program it to explode and then disappear?" Cat asked.

"I think Kaiba knew the ship's engines were out, so he made his own way off the island!" Joey snapped.

"Kaiba couldn't have gone far. We'll have to track him down." Yami said. Everyone split up to look for him.

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba were still in the control room. They were watching the Duel Tower on viewscreens as the red alert sounded.

"Soon, this place where Yugi disgraced me by steal the Battle City crown, will soon be destroyed." Kaiba said. "The only way I can move forward is by destroying the past. Including the site where Yugi robbed me of my victory. All this nonsense will soon be behind me."

"All systems are set." Mokuba said to Kaiba. "Hopefully everyone is already off the island." With that, the three turned and walked away.

Back on the ship, the pilot was still trying to work the controls, trying to get the engine started, while Mai, Bakura, Duke and Shizuka watched. But nothing was happening.

There was only thirteen minutes left in the countdown. Joey grabbed Roland. "You must know how to stop the countdown!" He insisted.

"Mr. Kaiba and Mokuba are the only ones who can stop it!" Roland said.

"With Kaiba missing and the ship not working, we'll never escape the explosion." Yugi worried as he appeared next to Yami in spirit.

"Have faith." Yami said.

"Joey, chill out!" Honda said.

"How can I stay calm!? The island's about to blow sky-high, and we have no way to escape!" Joey cried.

"Maybe the ship's engines have been fixed." Anzu suggested. But just then, Bakura and Duke ran out of the ship.

"Bad news guys!" Duke said.

"The engines aren't working!" Bakura cried.

"We need more time! They're only twelve minutes left!" Yami said. Joey quickly turned and ran to the ship.

"I'll take a shot at it!" He said.

"Since when could you fix an engine?" Anzu asked.

Joey kept on running towards the ship. "How hard can it be?" He asked before suddenly stopping and running back to everyone.

"Wait a minute! The helicopter that was to take me to the hospital is still sitting beside the ship! We can escape on it!"

Inside the ship, after hearing the news, Mai and Shizuka ran to Marik, Ishizu and Odion.

"We're going to abandon ship!" Mai said.

"The engines aren't working, so we're taking the helicopter instead!" Shizuka said.

"If you hadn't passed out, Joey, the helicopter wouldn't have been sent, and we'd have been stuck on the island!" Cat exclaimed.

Time was running out and they had no choice but to leave Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba behind. Everyone boarded the helicopter and it lifted off, with only 30 seconds left in the countdown.

Everyone watched the ground around the tower break up after the Tower exploded.

"I hope Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba got out safely." Cat said.

"I wonder if Kaiba just wanted to go down with his island?" Joey wondered. Then all of the sudden, from the smoke, a Blue-Eyes White Dragon rose. It was a jet plane, with Kaiba laughing at the controls.

"Surprise, Surprise!" Mokuba said to everyone in the helicopter through a radio. Joey freaked out and everyone was boggle eyed.

"They're on the helicopter." Kay pointed out.

"Oops." Kaiba said. "I guess the other ship wasn't fixed yet."

Furious, Joey grabbed the radio and yelled at Kaiba.

"How could you possibly think it's funny that we were almost killed?!" Joey snapped.

Kaiba only smiled.

"We aren't going back with you guys. We have important Kaiba Corp. business to take care of." Mokuba said to them.

"What are you planning?" Joey asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Kaiba said. "Don't worry you geeks. You haven't seen the last of me. Especially you, Yugi." Kaiba gave Yami a small smile.

Kaiba flashed them a brief salute.

"Hold on, Kay, Mokuba." Kaiba said as he made the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet fly off. Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit.

"I hope Kaiba can put his anger aside and move on." He said. Yami nodded.

"It's time for our next journey! To discover the Pharaoh's secret." Yugi said.

The helicopter finally arrived back in Domino at the pier. It was sunset and everyone was already piled out of the helicopter.

"Pharaoh, thank you again for saving Marik from the evil that once consumed him." Ishizu said to Yami.

"Thank you, Pharaoh." Marik said.

"It's time for you to uncover the mysteries that surround your past." Ishizu said to Yami.

"I hope that in spite of all I've done, we can be friends." Marik said to Yami.

"Of course." Yami said with a smile.

Ishizu smiled. "I know we'll meet again soon." She said and paused for a moment before handing Yami a letter. "I almost forgot. This is for you."

Yami took the letter and looked at it.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I was writing this on the way back here." Ishizu explained. "It contains an important story and some secrets that I'm sure you'll find very interesting. I want you to view them first, Pharaoh. Although someone within your circle of friends already knows of these secrets and history." Ishizu shot a glance at Cat.

Everyone then called their farewells to Ishizu, Marik and Odion as they took their leave on Marik's ship.

"Who knew there was a nice guy inside that evil, psychotic nutcase!" Joey said.

"You have a way with words, Joey." Mai said.

Yugi was still at Yami's side in spirit. "What do you think the letter says?" Yugi asked.

"Not sure. But we'll have to find out when we come home tonight." Yami said and glanced at Cat, who was watching her friends bicker about sometime.

"But I have a feeling that it may be about what Cat didn't want us to know earlier."

"Well, it's time for me to say goodbye." Duke said. "I can't stay in one spot for to long, but I'll be back. Goodbye everyone. Goodbye Shizuka." In passing, Duke slipped a piece of paper to Shizuka.

Shizuka looked at it and Honda quickly snatched it away. It was Duke's phone number.

"WHAT?! Duke!" Honda snapped, throwing a fit. Duke only laughed as he walked away.

"Everyone's going their own way." Joey said.

"Yeah. I too, should have some sort of plan." Honda says.

"There's still plenty of time to figure it out." Anzu said.

"You'll find out eventually." Shizuka said to Honda.

"You're right, Shizuka!" Honda said, passing his own phone number to her. Joey saw that and began to yell at Honda.

Shizuka giggled and hid behind Anzu. It wasn't long until Joey and Honda were laughing together.

"Well, I guess it's my turn to say goodbye." Mai said. "Battle City is over and it's time for me to move on."

"Mai, please don't go. You're like a sister to me." Shizuka said.

"Thank you for taking care of me while I was under Marik's spell, Shizuka." Mai said before turning to Yami. "I'll meet you in the next tournament."

Mai and Joey looked at each other for a moment, but didn't say anything. And with that, Mai headed off. Anzu poked Joey.

"Don't be such a dork." She said. "Do something right for a change."

Getting the idea, Joey ran over to Mai and caught her as she was getting to drive off.

"Joey, you don't have to say anything mushy." Mai said. "My favorite thing about the whole tournament was that I got to know you."

"Thanks, Mai." Joey said.

"But I'm still planning to kick your butt in the next tournament." Mai said with a grin. "Bye now." Mai then drove away, thinking to herself that when they first met, he was an okay duelist with a big mouth. Now he's a great duelist with a big mouth and a big heart, too. They may have been taking separate roads right now, but she was sure that their paths would cross again.


	27. Lies

(Beware of the extreme cheesyness ahead!! :P )

The ceiling was seriously not all that interesting to Cat.

But that's all she could stare at as she laid in her bed. Battle City was finally over and everyone returned home safely.

Yugi slept soundly in his bed, on the other side of the room.

Cat sighed. She just couldn't sleep. Her thoughts were too occupied with everything that had happened. Everything in Battle City, plus the fact that she was a descendant of a Princess named Luna who was supposed to marry the same Pharaoh that Cat was friends with right now!

It was awkward.

She knew that the Pharaoh and Yugi had read the letter that Ishizu gave them. But Cat wasn't around when they read it. She was getting ready for bed at the time.

But when she came into the room, neither Yugi nor Yami mention anything about the letter!

It confused Cat. Maybe weren't surprised? Maybe they didn't believe it? Maybe it effected them in a bad way? Maybe Yugi was okay with it, but the Pharaoh wasn't?

Cat just couldn't figure it out.

She moved her head so she could look out the window. It was such a beautiful starry night. She never really noticed it until tonight.

But no matter what, she knew that staring at the stars wasn't going to help the fact that she couldn't sleep at all.

She was just too wide-awake.

Cat didn't dare look at the clock. For all she knew, she had been lying there for hours and the sun was probably going to rise soon.

Whatever. It didn't really matter, right?

Cat turned her gaze back out the window and to the starry sky.

Her vision was finally starting to get blurry…it wasn't long until she finally fell asleep.

That morning, Yugi sat up and stretched.

"Wow…I haven't slept this good in a long time!" He said to himself cheerfully. He looked over at Cat's bed, expecting Cat to be awake before him, like she usually was since she started staying with Yugi and his grandfather.

But when he looked over, Cat was still there, in a deep sleep. Yugi blinked and quietly got out of bed, taking some clothes with him so he could get ready in another room.

Once he returned to the room, Cat was still fast asleep.

Yugi walked over to his desk and placed his Millennium Puzzle around his neck.

"Wow…I've never seen Cat asleep. Usually she's up before us." He said quietly.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit.

"I'm sort of not surprised." He said with a smile. "Cat's never been on an adventure before, so this all must have been very tiring for her. Besides…she's just learned about her ancestor and why she's here."

Yugi nodded in agreement.

"You're right." He said. "We should probably let her sleep more."

"Good idea." Yami said before fading back into the Millennium Puzzle.

Quietly, careful not to wake Cat up, Yugi left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"What? She's still sleeping?" Yugi asked, amazed.

Solomon chuckled.

"Yes, she is. The poor girl must be wiped out." He said with a smile as he swept the sidewalk outside of the game shop.

"But, it's almost noon…is she that tired?" Yugi asked.

"Probably. But I've been out here for a while. Last time I checked she was still sleeping. You can go and check, you know." Solomon said.

"Might as well." Yugi chuckled and walked inside.

He had just finished a duel with Joey. It was the duel that the Millennium Necklace showed him and Yami after Joey was trapped in the shadows. They had even gotten up pretty early in the morning for it.

Yugi climbed the staircase and walked into his room quietly.

"She IS still sleeping." Yugi whispered.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit. "Well, she has been through a lot in such short time. I'm not all that surprised." He said.

Yugi walked over to his bed and sat down, picking up the note from Ishizu and looking at it.

"So…Pharaoh…what do you think of this whole thing?" He asked. "You know…the situation with Luna?"

Yami looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I'm not quite sure what to make of it yet, Yugi." He replied and looked at Cat, who was still sleeping. "I don't remember Luna at all…but then again, I don't remember anything from my past. I almost find it hard to believe, though, that right now I'm looking at a direct descendant of Luna."

Yugi continued to read the note to himself over and over.

"Ishizu mentions that you and Cat might find a surprise in your thread of destiny. What do you think she means by that?" He asked.

Still in spirit form, Yami kneeled down next to Cat and placed his hand on her forehead gently.

"I honestly don't know, Yugi." He replied. "But Ishizu also mentioned to me in the note, that I have to take care of Cat. Protect her. Because other foes we may encounter or not, may not only target me, but Cat as well. Because of her ancient heritage."

"Although, I think Ishizu didn't have to ask you for you to do that. And I also think you wouldn't only protect and take care of Cat only because she may be targeted again." Yugi pointed out with a grin.

Yami looked at Yugi over his shoulder.

"What? What are you saying, Yugi?" He asked.

Yugi chuckled.

"Nothing." He said. "Nevermind. I could be wrong about my theory, but I dunno. You may find out in time."

Yami looked confused for a moment before shrugging it off and turning back to Cat, who was still sleeping.

He brushed one of her bangs.

Cat then suddenly began to stir a little and Yami quickly pulled his hand back. He was in spirit form! How could he have possibly have woken her up by touching her?

Cat slowly opened her eyes and groaned a little, rubbing her eyes.

Yugi looked up from the note and quickly put it in his desk door.

"Good Morning, Cat." He said with a smile.

Cat sat up tiredly.

"Good Morning…" She said weakly and looked around. "Hey…what time is it? Usually I'm up before you."

Yugi chuckled.

"Well, you slept it. It's almost noon. I guess you were really worn out." He said.

Cat blinked.

"Almost noon? Yikes, I guess I really was tired." She said before standing up and stretching. "Well, I guess I should get ready for the day, okay?"

Yugi nodded as Cat gathered some of her stuff and walked into the bathroom.

Once she was gone, Yami turned to Yugi.

"Yugi…I think she woke up because I touched her." He said. "But the confusing part is, is that I'm in spirit form! My touch shouldn't have woken her up."

Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"That is strange." He said. "Well…I guess we can safely say that Cat truly is, no doubt, connected to you, your past and the past itself."

"I guess you're right." Yami muttered.

There was hardly anyone out in the streets because of all the rain. No one wanted to be in it; puddles were everywhere.

Among the few people out on the streets, was Cat.

Yugi's Grandfather had asked her if she could pick up a couple of things at the store for dinner. And it was getting late.

Cat carried two plastic bags of food in each hand as she jogged down the street in her large coat that she had to barrow.

What she didn't know, was that a lone figure stood in an alleyway, plotting his next move.

The man sat on some boxes in the alleyway. He didn't even remotely care that he was getting wet.

"Before that fool, Marik, got beaten by the Pharaoh, he gave me a warning."

It was Yami Bakura.

His eyes were focused on the wall in front of him.

"That little brat Yugi picked up before Battle City started could get in the way of my gathering of the Millennium Items." He muttered to himself angrily. "I need to find a way to get rid of her."

He turned his head towards the street and thought about it some more.

"Cat is truly connected to the past. Like a few others and me. But she came so unexpectedly, she could mess up my plan on gathering all of the Millennium Items." Yami Bakura continued to mummer to himself.

While he was doing this, he paused for a moment.

Cat had just jogged by the alleyway!

He stared at the street for a moment before he smirked.

Perfect.

"Cat!"

Cat stopped her jogging and turned around.

Bakura was running towards her. Although it wasn't really Bakura; it was Yami Bakura.

He had a plan to get Cat away from the Pharaoh and everyone else. His first step was to pretend to be the friendly Bakura.

"Bakura?" Cat asked, out of breath. "Why are you out here without a raincoat or something?"

Yami Bakura and reached her.

"That's beside the point! I was hoping I would catch you alone after Battle City." He said.

Cat blinked and titled her head.

"Did something happen?" She asked.

"Sort of." Yami Bakura replied. "I wanted to tell you that you should probably find a way back home as fast as you can."

"Why?" Cat asked, confused as to why Bakura seemed so alarmed.

"Well…I didn't want to tell you this, because I know it's probably going to hurt you…but I have to tell you. But, Yugi and the others are using you." Yami Bakura said.

Cat looked even more confused.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"After we got home from the Duel Tower, I overheard some of them talking about it." Yami Bakura replied.

Cat began to look concerned.

"What did they say?" She asked.

"They were talking about how they needed to let Duke, Mai and Shizuka know about their secret before they grew too attached to you. I couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about, when they mentioned a "secret", so I went up and asked them myself." Yami Bakura explained. "They said that they were only putting up with you until the Pharaoh got his memories back."

Cat looked at Bakura in disbelief.

"But if that's the case then they wouldn't have taken me in." She pointed out.

"That WOULD have been the case if they didn't see your cartouche." Yami Bakura said.

Cat looked down at her necklace.

"Yes, they knew that you, appearing out of nowhere and getting attacked by the Rare Hunters so suddenly, had to have meant you were important in some way. You must have been connected to the Pharaoh's past somehow. That's why they took you in." Yami Bakura continued.

Cat then looked down at the wet sidewalk.

"So then…you're saying that…once they get all the information out of me…they're just going to leave me? Just like that?" Cat asked.

"I'm afraid so." Yami Bakura said before grinning to himself. Everything was playing out perfectly.

Cat stared down at her reflection in a puddle in front of her. It made sense, as much as Cat hated to admit it. Maybe that's why Anzu had that rant about her not having a "bond" with anyone there. Maybe that's why everyone seemed too kind to her. Maybe…that's why the Pharaoh was treating her so specially.

"They're not really your friends. They just want the key you hold to unlock one of the many locks to the door of the Pharaoh's memory. Once they unlock that lock, they have no more use for you." Yami Bakura continued. "But we both know that's unfair to you. You know what I think you should do?"

Cat looked up at him, waiting.

"Run." Yami Bakura said. "Run away from them. Don't let them find you. They can't just treat you like that and then throw you away. If they're going to treat you like that, then the Pharaoh doesn't deserve his memory to be returned. You must run away and try to find a way back home before they find you, and before you grow too attached to them."

Cat looked back down at the ground, her face saddened.

"It would probably be for your own good to do so." Yami Bakura said.

Cat sighed and closed her eyes.

"You're right." She muttered. "If that's the way it's going to be. I don't want to get hurt. I will leave. Thank you for letting me know, Bakura."

Yami Bakura smirked. His plan worked out perfectly.

"You're welcome. I hope you find your way back home soon." He said, hiding the evil in his voice.

Cat then turned and began to walk back to the game store, still traumatized that they would do this to her.

It was still raining when Cat arrived back at the game shop. But now it was dark.

"Oh good! You brought back the ingredients!" Solomon said cheerfully to Cat. "Thank you very much!"

Cat handed him the bags and faked a weak smile.

"You're welcome…" She said quietly.

Solomon then looked a little concerned. "You seem down. Are you all right? Did something happen?" He asked.

"I-I'm fine." Cat said. "It's pretty cold out there…so I might be feeling a little sick. I'm going to go upstairs and rest for a while. Alone, if that's alright."

"Of course! Yugi's watching TV right now and he said he would help me out with dinner. So you can go rest and we'll let you know when dinner's ready, alright?" Solomon said with a smile. "Make sure you keep yourself warm."

"Yeah." Cat simply said before going upstairs and into Yugi's room, shutting the door behind her.

Without stopping, Cat walked over to her stuff and packed it. She made sure to gather the money she had received from helping out Yugi's Grandfather around the house and shop. Plus the money she had already when she woke up in this city.

Once she had everything, she opened the window.

"I won't leave a trace of me behind." She said into the chilly air. "It will be like I wasn't even here." She looked over her shoulder. "Sorry guys…but I refuse to be treated this way. But thank you for your hospitality."

Cat then climbed out the window and made her way down to the ground, wondering to herself if she was being to dramatic.

Quickly, she dashed down the street and towards the nearest barber. Without looking back.

"Cat!"

Yugi knocked on the door to his room; 45 minutes later.

"Cat, dinners ready."

No response.

Yugi raised an eyebrow in confusion. Slowly, he opened his door and peeked in.

"Cat?" He asked.

No one was there…but the room was unusually cold.

He walked in and looked around. He gasped when he spotted the window open. Plus Cat's stuff was gone!

Yugi quickly looked down at his Millennium Puzzle.

"Pharaoh!" He cried. "Cat ran away!"

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit.

"She what?" He cried.

Without saying another word to Yami, Yugi quickly turned and dashed downstairs.

"Grandpa! Cat ran away! We need to look for her!"

Yami stared at the open window a moment longer.

"Why?" He asked.


	28. Stardust

"I guess I should hold onto what little money I have." Cat mummered, looking down at her wallet.

Cat was different.

She had gotten her hair cut, so it was just above her shoulders. But her bangs were still the same. She had her hair dyed blond and the tips of her bangs dyed blue.

She had no way to get home so she was staying in a hotel in the meantime. But that also meant that she had to find a way back home fast.

But she also needed more money. There was a possibility that she may be able to fly to America if she could buy a ticket.

But she still didn't know if she was even on the same planet anymore! Which was a strange thought.

Cat sighed as she placed her wallet next to her on the bed. She took a moment to glance at a flyer she picked up at the place where she got her hair done.

There was a singing competition going on tomorrow and anyone could sign in. The winner would receive an 800 award.

With the money, she would be able to go home. But there were two problems.

1. If Yugi or the Pharaoh heard her singing, they would probably figure out it was her.

2. There wasn't a guarantee that she would win.

"But…what choice do I have?" Cat asked herself softly.

After thinking about it for a moment longer, she came to a conclusion.

Standing up, Cat turned out the lights.

"I guess I'm gonna have to." She said. "I'm glad they accept last minute sign ups."

Without another word, Cat crawled into her bed and curled up. She took a short glance at a box sitting next to her bag. The box held her silver cartouche. She no longer wished to wear it.

Silently she shut her eyes. Wishing for home.

It wasn't too dark in Yugi's room.

The only thing lighting it up was moonlight, coming through his roof window.

"Don't worry Pharaoh. We'll continue looking for her tomorrow." Yugi said, sitting in his bed, while his friend sat at his desk in spirit, staring at the moon through the roof window.

Yami's arm rested on the desk and he clenched his fist.

"What bugs me is that I just don't understand." He said. "Why did she just suddenly run away? How could someone act so normal and cheerful one minute, then just disappear the next?"

Yugi thought about this.

"I wonder if anything happened in between the time she left to the store and the time she came back." He said.

"I wouldn't doubt it. I should have gone with her." Yami said, not moving his gaze from the window.

Yugi remained in thought for a little while longer. He glanced at his friend and glanced back at the wall, repeating his movement for a second, his head resting in his hand.

"You know what Pharaoh…I think something else is bugging you." He said.

Yami looked away from the window and at Yugi.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Yugi smiled at him.

"We're connected by spirit, right? That means I can feel what you feel, right?" He asked.

Yami raised his eyebrow.

"I don't get where you're going with this." He said.

"I think…that you love her!" Yugi said, holding up his index finger as to show a point.

There was silence in the room.

Yami looked baffled.

"Yugi, don't be ridiculous." He said, frowning. "Just because she's Luna's descendent doesn't mean I automatically have feelings for her."

"But the feelings you're having are feelings I've never seen you have before! And they started to develop during late Battle City! And they've grown slightly since then." Yugi continued.

"Yugi…stop it." Yami muttered.

"And right now, you're feeling intense worry and sadness because she ran away!" Yugi finished. "Sorry, but you can't fool me."

Yami sighed.

"I'll look for her tomorrow." He said. "Good Night Yugi."

With that, Yami disappeared within the Millennium Puzzle.

Yugi grinned at the puzzle.

"He just doesn't want to admit it." He said to himself.

There were hundreds of people!

Most of them were there to see the show. But there were quite a few that were there to try and win the money.

Cat had just finished signing up and she stared at the crowd.

"I guess I have to sing in front of all these people." She muttered to herself before sighing.

Usually, Cat hated singing in front of people because it gave her stage fright. But she figured that her depression would give her a push to keep on going.

All the singers had a choice to sing under their real name, or a stage name.

Cat chose a stage name, to be safe.

She picked, "Egyptian Moon".

And since Cat was the last person to sign up, she was going to sing last.

So she might as well make herself comfortable.

Yami searched the streets.

Day two of searching for Cat.

Yugi had called Joey, Honda and Anzu to help look for her. He would have asked for more help, but Shizuka went home, so did Duke. And Kay, Kaiba and Mokuba still hadn't returned yet.

They were all already within two hours of searching and no luck.

Yami sat on a bench in the city, taking a break. Yugi stood next to him in spirit.

"She could be anywhere!" He exclaimed. "She could have already left the city for all we know."

"Let's hope not." Yami said.

There was silence between the two until Yugi gasped.

Yami looked up.

"What? What is it?" He asked.

"Look!" Yugi said, pointing to a poster on a nearby building.

Yami turned his head to see what Yugi was pointing at. Not being able to see it well, he got up and walked over to it.

"It's a singing competition." Yugi said. "The winner gets 800. If Cat is going to try and find a way home, she would need money. It makes sense, doesn't it?"

"You're right." Yami said as he finished reading the poster. "We should go check it out! She may be there."

"Exactly!" Yugi said before fading back into the puzzle and letting Yami make his way to the competition.

"And here we have our last contestant! Egyptian Moon!"

The crowd cheered as Cat walked onto the stage. It was finally her turn.

The music began to play and she did her best to not be afraid.

_My ears are telling my burning chest_

_That they can hear a familiar sound_

_This face that said I can't show anyone,_

_I wonder if you knew it was right before you_

_The homeland you grew up in can be seen from this hill_

_And now, my tears are getting a little in way way, though I can't see it_

_The stars in the sky are close to everything_

_Please stop time for just a bit_

_As long as you're here, I don't need anything else_

_If that kind of wish can be granted_

Yami had just reached the area where the competition was being held. The crowd was huge. Some were chatting with each other, while others were doing their own thing. Although most of them were watching the current singer.

"It's going to be tough to try and find her here." Yami said as Yugi appeared next to him in spirit.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed.

Yami and Yugi wandered deeper into the crowd, continuing their search.

_Each time the glow in the building lights up,_

_I want to throw away everything that happened back then_

_If there is anything that changed, It's your heart and the space to the right of it_

_It's surprisingly this easy to create memories, and yet_

_Forgetting them is this difficult... Why?_

_The stars in the sky are close to everything_

_But you are no longer here_

_Who are you becoming closer with right about now?_

_Surely, I've become just a memory_

"Yugi! Wait a minute!" Yami exclaimed suddenly as he stopped moving.

Yugi looked at him.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Listen." Yami said.

The two listened carefully.

"Is that?" Yugi asked.

Yami nodded.

"It is. That's Cat's voice alright." He said. "I haven't forgotten. She must be onstage right now!"

"Alright then! Let's head for the stage!" Yugi said.

The two ran off towards the stage.

_The stars in the sky are close to everything_

_I want to see you, yet I feel like I won't_

_You won't let me call anymore because I cry too much_

_And you won't let my selfishness trouble you_

_My emotions are hidden in the stars in the sky_

_This time, please grant my wish_

_From now on, even if my body unexpectedly fails,_

_It can't be as fierce as not meeting you_

_I hope that I can express this feeling_


	29. Come Home

Yami and Yugi snuck to the backstage.

"I don't know about this Pharaoh." Yugi mummered, standing beside Yami in spirit.

"Sorry Yugi…but I'm facing this as a "now or never" situation." Yami whispered as they moved to the side of the stage, watching Cat.

"Pharaoh! Look! Are you sure that's Cat?" Yugi asked, pointing at the short blond hair.

Yami paused for a moment.

"It has to be. She must have changed her hair so we couldn't find her. But I know that it's her. I recognize her voice." He said.

"But, a lot of singers can sound similar. How can you be so sure? Besides, you've only heard Cat sing once!" Yugi protested.

"I don't know Yugi…but it's like her voice is stuck in my head and I could recognize it anywhere. Plus, I figure that it may have to do with Luna again. If Cat can sing so well, then Luna must have to." Yami said. "Besides, Cat told me in the virtual world that it ran in her family."

"Makes sense…I guess." Yugi said hesitantly.

"We'll just have to find out if we found the right girl or not." Yami said.

The crowd was cheering and Cat bowed.

Opportunity.

Yami casually walked onto the stage towards Cat.

Cat didn't notice him until she saw most of the crowd, looking his way. She turned and spotted Yami walking towards her. His face looked serious; almost angry.

Cat gasped, taking a step back.

How did he find her?!

As Yami came closer, Cat took another step back. She looked like she was about to make a run for it.

The crowd went silent as they watched this.

Cat quickly turned around and attempted to make a run for it, but Yami saw this coming and turned his walk into a dash.

He grabbed her in a way that almost looked like a hug.

So people weren't watching, Yami took her to the backstage, not changing his grip on her.

"Cat! What is wrong with you?!" He snapped.

Cat struggled to get free from his arms.

"Let go!" Cat cried instead of answering.

"No! Not until you tell me what's going on!" Yami said in a stern voice.

Cat continued to struggle.

"You already know!" Cat cried.

"Wha?" Yami asked, wondering what she meant.

While this happened, Cat finally broke free and made a quick run for it.

Yami was about to follow her, but two security guards stepped in front of him.

"Sir. I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to leave this area." One of them said.

Yami frowned; he wasn't going to let these men stand in his way. He was about to get past them until Yugi appeared in spirit form again.

"Pharaoh, you'd better listen to them. Don't even think about trying to get past them. We know what Cat looks like. She shouldn't be too hard to find now. Let's just go." Yugi said.

Yami sighed. "Alright." He said.

Cat hugged herself as she watched the two security guards lead Yami away. She felt tears form in her eyes, but she quickly shook it off.

Yami stood outside the area where the competition was being held.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Yugi asked, still in spirit form.

"I can only hope so." Yami said. "All we have to do is follow her to the place where she's staying. And then, once we reach her, we can hopefully find out what's gotten into her and bring her back."

"I guess we'll have to see." Yugi said.

They waited for a little while. Since Cat was the last singer, they didn't have to wait for any other competitors to sing.

It was about an hour and a half until people began to leave the area. It wasn't too long until Yami finally spotted Cat.

Thankfully, she was headed the other way and her back was turned to them.

Yami began to follow her, hiding when necessary.

After about half a mile, Cat finally walked into the hotel she was staying in. Yami stayed outside the hotel for a little while so Cat could reach her room.

Once he was sure it was safe, he walked in and approached the counter.

"Can I help you, sir?" The lady at the front counter asked.

"Yes, I need to know what room Cat Tsuru is staying in?" Yami asked. "And I'll also need a spare key."

The lady eyed him suspiciously.

"Why?" She asked. "Who are you?"

"I…er…I-I'm her cousin!" Yami said, hoping the lady would buy his story. "I was supposed to meet her here."

"She didn't mention anything to us." The lady said.

"I'm not surprised. She always expects people to know these things automatically." Yami said.

The lady sighed.

"Alright. She's staying in room "218" on the second floor." She said before handing him a key. "Here's the spare key."

"Thank you." Yami said before making his way to the staircase.

Cat was packing her stuff.

She had won the competition and was getting ready to go to the airport. She was ready to go home.

Cat decided that she was going to leave tomorrow afternoon.

She paused what she was doing when she heard someone messing with the door handle at her door. Someone was unlocking her door!

Cat quickly turned around and watched the door.

Who could it be? One of the staff members? No…usually they knock and wait for you to answer the door.

Then…who…?

Once again, she gasped and covered her mouth when she found out that it was Yami.

Yami shut the door behind him without turning around. He locked it.

"Why…why are you following me?!" Cat cried.

Yami began to advance towards her.

"I want to know why you ran away." He said simply.

"You already know why!" Cat exclaimed, taking her steps back.

"No, I don't! If I knew why, then I wouldn't be here, asking you!" Yami snapped.

Cat wasn't sure how to respond to that as she found herself backed up against a wall.

She pressed herself up against it as Yami came closer.

"Please…just explain yourself." Yami said.

"I…don't need to." Cat said.

Yami had finally reached her and trapped her between him and the wall. He pressed his hand against the wall beside her, one hand on each side of her. Not intending on letting her escape.

"Yes. You do. How can I let you go if you don't explain why you're running away?" Yami asked.

Cat looked to the side.

"Bakura…told me everything." She said.

"What?" Yami asked.

Cat faced him, frowning.

"He told me everything! How you guys were only using me just so you can get your memory back!" She cried. "All you guys saw me as, was a key! And once you were through with me, you were just going to throw me away! I refuse to be treated that way!"

Yami looked puzzled.

"Bakura told you that?" He asked.

Cat nodded.

"That's ridiculous." Yami said. "And it's a lie. You are truly our friend. We would never use you and then just throw you away."

"How can I trust you?" Cat asked.

"How can you trust Bakura? He has an evil spirit inhabiting his Millennium Ring that will do anything to get his hands on all the Millennium Items." Yami explained. "And he knows that you might get in his way. He doesn't want that. So he lied to you."

Cat stared at him.

"I still don't see how I can still trust you. Or anyone for that matter." She said.

Yami sighed and glanced at the small box sitting next to her bed. He walked over to that and opened it up. Just as he thought.

He pulled out her silver cartouche and walked back over to Cat.

"Because of this." He said, holding it up to her face.

Cat stared at it.

"Because apparently, your ancestor, Luna, was extremely important to me." Yami said. "And I would never…let anything happen to her descendant. Because flowing through your veins is not only your blood…but Luna's blood as well."

Cat's face expression softened a bit.

"I would never even dream of using someone who is connected to my past and then throwing them away." Yami continued. "They will always be my precious friends. And one of the reasons is, because they're the closest thing I have to my life, my memory, my home."

Cat sighed, as she saw nothing but truth when she looked at him.

She looked down a little.

"I…don't know." She said, calmed down.

"Cat." Yami said before lifting her chin to make her look at him. "Bakura lied to you. We would never, in our lives, use you. You are our friend. And we love our friends."

Cat sighed again as Yami let go of her chin. Cat then leaned her head against his shoulder, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Let's…go home." She said quietly. "I want to go home…with my friends."

The ceiling again.

Cat was finally back at Yugi's house. And it was nighttime.

Yugi was, again, fast asleep in his bed. Cat was once AGAIN having a hard time sleeping.

She sighed and messed with one of her bangs.

How was she going to explain this to her other friends?

Never the less…she would find some excuse.

An hour later, Cat was finally able to find sleep; and once she was in deep sleep, something strange happened.

Her silver cartouche, sitting next to Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, started to glow faintly.

Slowly, a figure appeared in front of the desk the cartouche and puzzle were sitting on. It was Luna!

Luna turned towards Cat, noting her new hair.

"She regretted making that decision." She said to herself, her voice soft and beautiful.

Quietly, Luna made her way over to Cat before kneeling down. She then shut her eyes and reached out, touching Cat's hair.

Her hand glowed for a moment.

Once that was done, Luna re-opened her eyes and stood up, smiling.

"Good Luck." Luna whispered before slowly disappearing.

"Ugh…when did I fall asleep?"

Cat stretched her arms and slowly sat up. Sighing, she rubbed her eyes tiredly before getting up and slowly making her way to the bathroom.

Once she reached the bathroom, she shut the door behind her and looked into the mirror.

She just stood there for a couple of minutes. Staring at her tired expression.

Another minute passed…Cat's scream filled the whole building.

Awake and Alarmed, Yugi and Solomon rushed to the bathroom and threw the door open.

"Cat!" Solomon cried.

"Are you okay?!" Yugi asked.

It took them a brief moment to realize what she had screamed at.

Cat's hair was no longer short, blond and blue…it was back to normal! Long and brown!

"How…did this happen?" Cat asked, staring at her reflection wide-eyed.

"That's what I want to know." Solomon said, also wide-eyed.

"Cat…how do you think that happened?" Yugi asked.

"I don't know!" Cat said.

Everyone was in thought for a moment.

"Cat…do you think…maybe…that it was Luna?" Yugi suggested.

"Luna?" Solomon asked.

"I'll explain later, Grandpa." Yugi said.

"It…could have been." Cat said, looking like she was in deep thought.

"You kids can discuss this. I need to get ready and open the shop." Solomon said before walking off. "Tell me your guys' conclusion!"

Cat and Yugi stood there, thinking.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Yugi asked.

Cat nodded.

"It does." She said.

The two looked at each other a smiled weakly.

"I'll bet you that was it. It was Luna." Cat said.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed with a smile.


	30. A New Adventure and a New Danger

Everything was returning back to normal.

Only…Cat didn't know what was normal in Domino City.

But deep down…she knew something else was going to happen. In the pit of her stomach, she could feel it.

"Calm before the storm, they say." Cat said, leaning against the wall on the roof of their school.

Yugi, Honda, Joey and Anzu were with her. School hadn't started yet.

"I can't help but agree with ya, Cat." Joey said. "With us, it always seems like once things get calm again…somethin' else has ta pop out outta nowhere!"

Yugi was sitting and leaning against the fence, holding his millennium puzzle.

"I dunno guys. Now that we have the three Egyptian God Cards, the Pharaoh can learn his memories again." He said.

"Oh yeah!" Joey exclaimed.

"That's right! He can get his memories back!" Honda smiled.

Cat and Anzu remained silent, although Cat was able to bring a smile.

"That's true. I'm happy that he'll be able to finally reach his…goal." Cat said.

Before anyone could say anything else, the bell rang.

"Oh! We'd better head to class!" Honda exclaimed.

"Yeah." Everyone agreed and left the rooftop.

The hallway was silent except for the quiet pitter-patter of Cat's shoes.

"Darn it! Class has already started! And I'm late AGAIN!" She whined silently to herself. "I just KNOW the teacher is gonna get me for sure this time!"

Cat was just about to fully turn a corner, until she stopped. Yugi was standing in the hallway by himself. His back was facing her.

Cat stood there, wondering if he was going to do something.

"What is he doing? He has the same class as Anzu and me…" She thought to herself.

After a brief moment, in a flash of gold, Yugi let Yami take over.

Yami continued down the hallway as if it was natural. But…he walked right by their classroom!

"What…is he doing?" Cat asked herself in her thoughts as she slowly followed him.

She followed him silently throughout the school until they reached the main doors.

Cat froze, her eyes grew and her hair stood up. "N-No WAY! He isn't thinking about SKIPPING is HE?!" She thought to herself frantically.

Yami was already out the doors and making his way to the gates. Cat tensed up for a second before running after him.

Yami was about to reach the gates until Cat grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait!" She cried.

Yami stopped and looked over his shoulder at the panting girl.

"Cat? What are you doing here?" He asked as he turned around fully. Cat took a moment to catch her breath. She was still a little tired from trying to run to class earlier. And the sneaking around gave her an adrenaline rush.

Cat looked up. "Where are you going?" She asked.

Yami smiled lightly. "I'm going to the museum."

"What? Why are you doing this in the middle of school? And why didn't you tell anyone?" Cat asked.

"I didn't want to disturb anyone else…and…I'm sort of anxious to find out more about my past. And now that I have the keys to actually learning it, I feel really impatient. Forgive me." Yami explained.

Cat sighed. "Well…I suppose that's understandable. But…I'm sure everyone would want to say goodbye and good luck to you before you go…" She said.

Yami smiled sadly. "It would be too sad to say goodbye to them. I only wanted Yugi to see me off because…it would just be too sad. Maybe you should head back…alright?" He said before turning around. "Goodbye Cat…"

Cat blinked and raised her shoulders in somewhat of an annoyance.

Being quick, she turned around and ran back into the school.

On the roof, Anzu stood there, looking through the gate that kept them from falling.

It wasn't long until Joey and Honda came to join her.

""Ey Anzu…where's Yug?" Joey asked.

Anzu shook her head. "I don't know. He left before math…he told me he had to go somewhere."

Honda went into his thinking pose.  
"Well THAT'S odd…that's unlike him." He stated.

Joey nodded.

Suddenly, the door leading to the roof opened and Cat came through.

Everyone looked at her.

"Cat! There you are! Do you know where Yugi is?" Anzu asked.

Cat panted. "Yeah! He said he was going to the museum!"

"What? And he didn't tell us?" Joey asked angrily.

"Well, I'm sure he had his reasons! Let's just follow him!" Cat exclaimed.

Everyone nodded and left the roof again.

The area around the museum seemed rather silent.

Yami stood at the steps. Knowing his destiny awaited him in there. He was about to take a step until he heard, "YUGI!"

He turned around to find Cat, Honda, Joey and Anzu running up to him.

"What are you guy's doing here?" He asked, looking a little stunned.

"We were worried about you, man!" Honda exclaimed.

"Yeah! Why didja just split like that?" Joey asked.

Yami looked to the side. "I have something I need to do…and it could be dangerous…and if so, I didn't want you guys to get involved." He explained.

"Hey! We're a team! Remember?" Anzu pointed out.

"We appreciate your concern…but we don't care what happens to us…we want to be there to help you…to be there for you!" Cat piped in.

Yami smiled at the four. "Thank you." He said as they all put their hands in a four-way handshake.

"Let's go!" They all said.

As they headed in the museum; far away…in a dark temple…a man in a cloak stands before an alter.

"DEITIES OF DOMINATION! I CALL UPON YOU! USE THE PHARAOH'S FORCE TO CALL UPON THE BEASTS AND LIBARATE THE FURY OF TEN THOUSAND YEARS!"

The man's cry echoed in the dark temple.

And an eerie feeling of evil filled the room.

Everyone stood in front of the panel, amazed. Except for Yami and Anzu.

This had been the first time Cat, Joey and Honda had seen the ancient tablet, where Yami and Anzu had discovered Yami was the Pharaoh.

"WHOA! YUG! That guy looks JUST LIKE YOU!" Joey exclaimed with a freaked out look on his face.

Yami nodded. "Yes. I was shocked too when I saw this tablet. But Isis came and explained to me that I was the Pharaoh who locked away the shadow games 3,000 years ago.

Cat stared at the tablet.

"So…this is that tablet…huh…if I didn't know any better, that other guy looks just like Kaiba…yeesh…this is all getting stranger and stranger…" She thought to herself.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Yami approach the tablet.

They all watched as Yami held the Egyptian God Cards up to the tablet. Suddenly, the eye of Horus started to glow a bright white light.

A voice could be heard…it is the voice of the man from the dark temple.

"Pharaoh! You have served the Gods well!" Was all he said before he started to laugh and the pendent around his neck started to glow.

Everyone looked at the glass in front of the tablet, for it seemed to have become frozen!

Suddenly, the God Cards in Yami's hand started to crackle with dark energy!

Yami grabbed his arm and bent over in pain.

"Yugi!" Everyone cried.

"Yugi! Let go of the cards!" Honda cried.

"I-I can't!" Yami said through his pain.

Cat kneeled over and held his shoulders. The dark energy had stopped flowing. They all looked up when they heard a scream.

Quickly, they ran out of the museum and froze.

Duel Monsters all over the place flew all around while people screamed, ran and cowered in fear.

"Whoa! Someone's duel disk must have gone haywire!" Honda exclaimed.

"It would take more than one busted duel disk to create all these monsters!" Anzu pointed out.

"I say we go straight to the only person I can think of that would know what do it! As much as I hate ta say it…let's go find Kaiba!" Joey said with determination.

Everyone agreed and ran towards Kaiba Corp.

Once they reached Kaiba Corp., the entry way was CLOGGED with news reporters and whatnot.

One of Kaiba's employees was speaking for him.

"We assure you, that we are not responsible for what has happened! Mr. Kaiba is away in America doing business! But he will be holding a press conference in the US soon!" The man said.

"Well…according to that man, I don't think we'll be able to get in." Anzu said.

"Yeah…but it's not like we would be able to get through this mess either!" Honda finished.

"Let's head back and see if anything is on the news about this!" Cat said.

Everyone nodded and headed off again.

Everyone watched the news as Grandpa Moto carefully dusted the God Cards.

They had found out that monsters were appearing all over the world! But before they could see anything else, the news quickly cut to Kaiba's press conference, live from the US.

Kaiba stood before microphones and started to speak. "After testing our duel disk systems, we have discovered that the monster appearances have nothing to do with Kaiba Corp. Our technology is working perfectly normal.

"I'll bet you Kaiba is just trying to cover up to keep his reputation! Who else can create holograms such as those?!" Honda cried.

"Hold on…think about it…what if they AREN'T holograms?" Cat mentioned.

Anzu nodded.

"Yeah…what if they have something to do with the stone tablet we saw. I'm no expert, but I'm sure glass doesn't freeze like that and cards don't start to crackle with dark lightening." She pointed out.

"You're right. I wonder if that dark force I felt in the museum has anything to do with this?" Yami suggested.

Joey opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a crash!

"YUGI!"  
It was Grandpa Moto!!

The five ran out of the room to find Grandpa on the floor of the shop and the shop glass broken. Plus, the God Cards were GONE! Yami turned back into Yugi.

Anzu helped Grandpa Moto up while Joey glared.

"Whoever took them, I'll stop them!" He cried as he ran out the door but screeched to a halt and cried out in surprise.

Everyone else joined him when they heard the cry.

Above them, was Obelisk, Slifer, and Ra!

"Whoa! Who would steal da God Cards and summon them in the middle of the city for all to see?!" Joey cried out.

"I don't think they were stolen…nor do I think someone summoned them with their duel disk! From what I know, only a person with a connection with the Millennium Items can summon a God Card!" Yugi piped in.

All of the sudden, they were all blinded by a bright light, coming from three motorcycles with three figures on them. Yugi glared at the three and shouted, "GIVE ME MY GOD CARDS BACK!" Figuring they were the ones who took them.

The three figures laughed.

"When the forbidden door is opened, the light of Oreikalkos will punish this filthy world. We are Doma's three swordsmen!" They all said at the same time.

Joey held up his fist.

"YOU DUN SCARE US, YA BUNCH A FREAKS!" He snapped.

Yugi stepped in.

"The God Cards don't belong to you! Give them back!" He ordered.

"The God Cards serve a new master now, Nameless Pharaoh." One of the men said.

Yugi blinked in shock.

"How do they know about the other me?" He thought to himself.

The three men turned their motorcycles around.  
"If you want your God Cards back, follow us!" One of them said.

Then, they all sped towards an unfinished building with a crane at the top.

Yami took control again and followed the three men with the other four following him behind.

Once they reached the top of the building, they ran into a man with a beard in a cloak.

"My name is Gurimo, and I serve Lord Rafael!" The man announced.

"Gurimo! Those God Cards hold more power than you understand! Return them! Before someone gets hurt!" Yami yelled at the man.

Gurimo smirked.

"I'm well aware of how much power the God Cards hold. If you want them, back, you'll have to duel me!" He replied, activating his duel disk.

"Very well, then!" Yami accepted and activated his duel disk.

The duel was on.

The duel started out normal.

The five were hoping that Gurimo wouldn't use the God Cards. But at the same time they had faith that Yami would win. He WAS the King of Games after all.

After Gurimo summoned another monster to the field, he smirked again.

"Be warned Pharaoh! For I am about to play a card more powerful than the three Egyptian God Cards! The Seal of Orichalcos! This cards magic existed longer than the sands of Egypt!" He cried out as he activated the magic card.

Suddenly, a circular boundary filled with magical symbols appears on the ground around the duelists, and series of lines draw out an asymmetrical six-pointed star within it.

When the seal appeared, Cat, Joey, Honda and Anzu were all thrown back by the seal's energy.

Yami gasped and tried to run to them, but was stopped. He can't pass the circular boundary!

Gurimo laughed evilly. "It's useless to try and leave the seal, Pharaoh. Once the seal surrounds someone, no one can enter or leave the seal! Once the duel is over, only the victor can leave!" He raised his head and the same seal, only smaller, was on his forehead! "The loser's soul remains locked within the seal!"

"Believe me, I am no stranger to ancient magic." Yami replied as the eye of Horus started to shine on his forehead and so did his millennium puzzle. But the glow faded quickly!

"Your toy is useless Pharaoh! The seal's magic as been around longer than your puzzle! Oh! I almost forgot! As long as the seal exists on my side of the field, all my monsters turn into dark monsters and their strength grows!" Gurimo laughed.

The duel didn't end quickly…but Yami won in the end.

The three motorcyclists were watching not too far away.

Their names were Valon, Rafael, and Amelda.

Yami fell to his knees, exhausted. "That was close…" He sighed to himself.

Gurimo looked up to the three motorcyclists and tossed them Obelisk, which they had let him use to try and win the duel. "Rafael-sama!" Gurimo cried as he tossed the card.

They caught the card as the seal grew smaller around Gurimo, forming a column of light that seemed to create a vortex that reached the sky, sucking Gurimo's soul out.

As the seal disappeared, Gurimo fell to the ground senselessly.

"Gurimo…" Rafael said silently.

"We now know more about the Pharaoh's dueling strategies. Let's go." The man named, Valon said. The three turned to go.

"STOP!" Yami cried after them. The three stopped and looked at him.

"I won! Return the Egyptian God Cards!" Yami demanded.

They laughed.

"You have to defeat all three of us to get them back, Pharaoh." The man whose name was Amelda said.

Joey growled. "YOU COWARDS! No one told us we had ta duel ALL THREE OF YOU! Give them back before I beat them out of yer hands!" He yelled at the three.

Valon laughed. "That one reminds me of myself…only dumber and less attractive." He grinned.

"He'll be fun to duel."

The three left.

Yami rushed over to Gurimo and looked at him.

Honda joined him. "Is he dead?" He asked.

"No…but his soul is gone." Yami replied.

He picked up the Seal card. It had the man's picture on it.

Anzu bent down and picked up a glowing crystal necklace that Gurimo was wearing.

"Wow…pretty. Hey Yugi! Check this out!" She called to Yugi.

Yami came over and looked at the crystal.

Cat looked at it too.

"Do you think it has something to do with all this?" Cat asked.

"I don't know…but it's like the dark power of the Millennium Items." Yami replied.


	31. The Dragon Timaeus!

The next day, the gang was back on the street. They found Rex and Weevil.

Yesterday they were in a trance…talking about how the world was going to end.

Their souls were captured by the three motorcyclists and were released after Yami won the duel yesterday.

They all noticed that they seemed to have returned to normal.

But…why were they like that yesterday?

Joey and Honda wanted an answer.

Joey and Honda each picked up on the of the boys, making them hang in the air.

"HEY! What the?!" Weevil cried out as he flung around in the air.

"What gives?!" Rex complained as he also flung around in the air.

Yugi walked up to the too.

"What did you two do yesterday?" He asked.

They stopped flinging around and looked at Yugi.

"Yesterday was kinda strange…we were just walking around until we ran into some bearded man! He forced us to duel with him and we lost…the next thing we knew we woke up in the middle of the night! We must have passed out or something…" Rex explained, hoping the answer will make Honda and Joey put them both down.

Weevil nodded. "Yeah. And when we dueled the man, it was early afternoon!" He finished.

"Well…why were you two murmuring about the world ending yesterday?" Yugi asked another question.

Joey and Honda placed the two down.

Weevil clutched his throat while Rex answered, "I don't remember…can we see the God Cards?"  
He asked the question almost randomly.

Yugi sighed and looked down.

"They were stolen." He answered

"Yeah…but we'll win them back easily!" Joey exclaimed.

"We'd better go. Rex, Weevil, let us know if you see any suspicious bikers, okay?" Yugi told the two boys and the five friends walked off.

"Okay!" Rex and Weevil called after them.

But once the five were out of sight, the two boys chuckled evilly.

"The God Cards are up for grabs now, Rex!" Weevil laughed.

"I hear ya!" Rex agreed.

"And soon, they'll be MINE!" They both said at the same time.

The five walked down the street.

"So…things first start to get freaky at the museum…then monsters pop up all over the world…and bikers are stealing people's souls with a card! I guess that sums everything up!" Honda said.

"I think all these events are tied together somehow." Anzu added in.

"Well, that's pretty obvious, Anzu…But I think the most important thing right now is finding out who's all behind this…how we can stop them, and how we can get Yugi's God Cards back." Cat piped in.

Anzu gave her a small-irritated look at the "Pretty obvious" comment.

"Geez! Why does all da WEIRD stuff have ta happen to us?" Joey sighed out loud.

Yugi stayed silent as he carried a sad/worried look on his face.

But he looked up when he heard someone call his name.

A young blond girl with half glasses ran up and flung herself onto Yugi's arm!

"Hiya Yugi Darling!" She said happily.

"Uh…? Hi?" Yugi said with a confused look on his face.

Anzu looked annoyed.

"You know this girl?" She asked in an irritated voice.

The girl smiled and pulled out a card and showed it to Yugi.  
"Remember this?" She asked.

It was the ties of friendship card!

"Oh! Now I remember! You're Rebecca Hawkins!" Yugi exclaimed, remembering that he gave her that card a while ago.

Joey flinched. "WH-WHAT?! This girl is THAT BRAT?!" He exclaimed, shocked. "She looks so much DIFFERENT! Did you get a haircut?"

Honda looked at Joey as if he was stupid. "No, no, Joey…she traded her teddy bear for glasses." He said in a way that make him seem confident about his answer.

Rebecca shook her head. "I graduated and I didn't need a teddy anymore! Besides! Now I have a boyfriend." She grinned at Yugi.

Yugi looked rather dumbfounded.

"Wow…I'll be sure to add this to our list of weird events." Joey said.

"Maybe we should stay out of this one…" Honda suggested.

Anzu looked rather ticked at Rebecca as she hugged Yugi's arm.

Cat looked confused. "I guess I haven't met her yet…" She mummered.

At that moment, Rebecca looked at Cat.

Cat blinked for a moment and put on a small smile.

All of the sudden, Rebecca glared at her fiercely. Cat tensed up at the look and blinked with big eyes.

Rebecca let go of Yugi and walked up to Cat, glaring up at her.

"You! Is your name Cat?" She asked.

Cat was still rather scared of the nasty glare she was getting. "Y-yes."

Rebecca grabbed her arm and drug her around a corner. "I need to talk to you privately!" She said.

Yugi, Joey, Honda and Anzu all stared…confused…yet knowing that whatever the reason was, Cat was in trouble.

Cat looked down at Rebecca. "So…uhm…what…did you…need?" She asked, not too calmly.

"Is it true?" Rebecca asked angrily.

"About what?" Cat asked.

"About you and Yugi-kun being together!" Rebecca answered.

Cat blinked at tilted her head.

"Where did you hear THAT?" She asked.

Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"It's been such a huge fuss! "King of Games: Yugi Moto, runs up and hugs the new pop idol, Egyptian Moon while she was still on stage!" Plus I found out that you were Egyptian Moon when I overheard Yugi-kun's grandpa mention it to my grandpa!" She answered.

Cat blushed when she remembered the moment. "Uhh…well…not…er…" She stammered.

Rebecca's glare turned fiercer then ever. "I KNEW IT!" She yelled.  
She started to push Cat continuously. "Yugi-kun belongs to ME! Just because you've become a singer, DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN GET ANYONE YOU WANT!"

"Ow! Ow! Calm down! I-it's not LIKE THAT! Really!" Cat cried.

"LIAR!" Rebecca cried at her.

Yugi, Joey, Honda and Anzu peeked around the corner to see what all the ruckus was.

Their faces turned to shock when they saw Rebecca pushing Cat around.

"Whoa! Kid on a rampage!" Joey said as him and Honda held Rebecca back.

Cat rubbed her side in pain.

Yugi and Anzu jogged up to Cat.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked.

"I-I'm fine…but I think you need to help me clear something out to her." Cat answered.

While Joey and Honda were trying to calm Rebecca down, Cat explained the situation.

Yugi walked up to Rebecca. "Um…Rebecca? I think you have a misunderstanding…me and Cat aren't "together"…we're only friends." Yugi explained.

Rebecca stopped for a moment. "And what about that whole concert incident?" She asked.

Joey, Honda and Anzu blinked in confusment. Concert incident?

A sweatdrop formed on Yugi's head as he tried to think of a way to explain what happened at the concert, thinking he shouldn't tell her about the Pharaoh, and how to make it so Joey, Honda and Anzu don't figure out what happened.

"U-uh…that was just a rumor! It didn't happen! It was all fake!" Yugi explained quickly.

"Oh…is that so?" Rebecca asked.

Yugi nodded, hoping she would buy it.

After a strange moment of silence, Rebecca sighed.

"Okay. I'm sorry I misunderstood you Cat." She apologized. "But…that doesn't mean I won't keep my EYE on you." She finished, giving Cat a strange, yet almost scary look.

Cat twitched. "R-right." She said.

"Anyways…Now to tell you why I came…my grandpa would like to see you, Yugi-kun." Rebecca said.

"What? Me?" Yugi asked.

Everyone looked at each other, wondering what he wanted.

Later, they all met up with Professor Hawkins and Yugi's Grandpa, who were both at Domino's Museum Egyptian Exhibit, standing in front of the stone tablet.

"Oh! Yugi! You're exactly the person I needed to see!" Professor Hawkins exclaimed happily as he saw Yugi and the others arrive. "I have a theory that these monster appearances have something to do with you, Yugi."

"What?" They all asked.

Meanwhile, the three bikers had just got off a plane and onto an island.

"Ah…home sweet home." Valon said as he stretched.

"Yeah…but wait until we tell the boss we found the Pharaoh!" Rafael said with a grin.

The three took their bikes and rode up a ramp-like stairway up to a fortress.

"It was easy to find out, but it appears, according to this ancient stone tablet, you share a bond with a 3,000 year old Pharaoh, Yugi!" Professor Hawkins exclaimed.

"In my recent studies, I've been studying Duel Monsters and have discovered that it started out more than just a game! Egyptian sorcerers learned to seal away the real monsters away in stone tablets. As more monster tablets were collected, the sorcerer's powers grew stronger until the shadow magic spun out of control! And threatened to destroy all life on earth! But one man was able to turn the darkness to light; the great Pharaoh whose power you carry, Yugi!"

"But…what does this all have to do with what's happening now?" Yugi asked. "Have the monsters returned?"

"Well…they have, but there's more to it than that. Have you kids ever heard of the lost city of Atlantis?" Professor Hawkins asked.

"I have…I read about it in a book once." Anzu mentioned.

Honda laughed. "You're such a nerd, Anzu."

Anzu glared at him and smacked the back of his head. "Shut up!" She snapped.

"I've heard of it too. It's not uncommon to know a little about Atlantis from where I come from." Cat jumped in.

"Well…I may have discovered Atlantis…how it has been around longer than Egypt. But what puzzled me the most was the carvings…here…take a look." Professor Hawkins said as he handed the group some photos of the carvings he took.

Yugi looked through them while the rest looked over his shoulder.

"They…look just like Duel Monsters!" Yugi pointed out.

"Yes! So…the monsters didn't originate in Egypt 3,000 years ago…but in Atlantis 10,000 years ago!" Professor Hawkins exclaimed.

"You didn't tell me about this yet! Your discovery could rewrite history!" Solomon (Yugi's Grandpa) exclaimed.

"There's still a lot I don't know, though." Professor Hawkins explained.

Yugi continued to look through the photos.

"Some of them seem to be monsters attacking cities." He mentioned.

"True…but only SOME of the monsters are attacking the city." Professor Hawkins points out.

"Does that mean that some of the monsters were good?" Yugi asked.

"I believe that there is a parallel world of monsters that exists along side ours. All through history too. There have been only some people who have been able to release these monsters. Some of them helped mankind while others destroyed it." Professor Hawkins said.

Honda laughed. "Gimme a break! That can't be true!"

Rebecca glared at Honda and kicked him in the knee.

"Hey! Anyone who messes with Grandpa, messes with me! Besides! Didn't you know that Pegasus created the game after seeing the carvings himself?" She snapped at Honda.

"I know it's a bit farfetched…" Professor Hawkins said.

"But it's TRUE!" Rebecca cried.

"'Ey! Relax, I believe ya! How could I not after all these weird things we've experienced! Like all the shadow games and whatnot! There's plenty of things that probably can't be explained." Joey said.

"Yeah…like how the Pharaoh is living within my Millennium Puzzle." Yugi added in.

"And also like my cartouche and Luna." Cat also added in.

Professor Hawkins looked at Cat and smiled.

"Oh! I don't suppose we've met!" He said to Cat cheerfully and shook her hand. "My name is Professor Hawkins, in case you didn't know."

Cat smiled. "Uh, nice to meet you Professor…" She replied. "My name is-"

"Cat, right?" The Professor cut in. "I'm sorry for cutting in. But my dear friend, Solomon has already told me much about you! Now that you mention it, you have a tie to the 3,000 year old Pharaoh too, correct?"

Cat blinked. "I…guess you could say that." She laughed lightly.

"Yes, yes! You're the ancestor of Luna! Don't worry! We learned some things about her on some of our expeditions!" Professor Hawkins grinned. "How delightful…and you look just like her too!"

Cat smiled lightly. "Thank you." She replied.

"Anyways, our hypothesis suggests that the supernatural phenomena they've experience may find its roots in Atlantis." Rebecca continued on.

Honda grinned. "Those are some pretty big words for a little kid."

Rebecca glared at him. "I am NOT a little kid! For your information, I'm a collage student!" She snapped.

"My granddaughter here is a very gifted young lady." Professor Hawkins said proudly.

Rebecca smiled with pride.

"I'm just your average child genius. G-E-N-I-U-S." She spelled out.

Joey shifted his eyes to the side. I wonder if she can spell 'Obnoxious'…" He murmured.

Rebecca grew angry once again. "HEY! I heard that Wheeler!" She snapped.

"Now, now Rebecca…that is not how a collage student acts…" Professor Hawkins said calmly.

"Moving on…when Egyptian sorcerers conjured these monsters 3,000 years ago. Luckily, the Pharaoh was there to save mankind from destruction. Now that the Pharaoh has been reborn in Yugi, could mean that mankind needs his help again."

Yugi looked down in thought.  
"iI don't know what to do! Should we try to figure out how to send the monsters back to their own world? Or should we try and figure out what the motorcycle gang is up to?/i" He thought to himself.

He looked up. "Wait." He said digging in his pocket. "I think I may have a clue…"

Once he found the object he was looking for, he pulled it out. It was the crystal necklace that the man they dueled was wearing yesterday.

Professor Hawkins examined it for a moment. "Huh…I've never seen anything like it." He said.

"But it is incredibly like something I discovered on one of my expeditions. May I take it back to my lab, Yugi?"

Yugi nodded and handed him the necklace.

Later, once the conversation was over, everyone headed outside the museum.

"I plan on taking Professor Hawkins and Rebecca to the airport. You guys walk back home safely, alright?" Solomon said.

Everyone nodded.

Rebecca walked up to Yugi and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you soon, Cutie!" She said before heading back to join her grandfather.

Yugi looked rather embarrassed and Anzu looked like she was about to murder Rebecca.

The three got in the taxi and drove away.

Yugi sighed. "iJust when things were returning to normal, everything got weird again!/i" He thought to himself.

Yami appeared beside him in spirit.

"iIt appears that this time the situation seems more treacherous than ever./i" He said.

Yami faded back into the puzzle and as that happened; Yugi heard a cry for help!

"Whoa…did you guys hear that?" He asked the other four.

Honda shook his head. "I didn't hear anything." He said.

"Me either…" Anzu also said.

"There's nobody around…what did you hear?" Cat asked.

Yugi shook his head. "Never mind. It's nothing." He replied.

Joey stretched. "It's been a long day…I'm ready to go turn in." He yawned and started to head out. Honda and Anzu followed him.

"After all that, it's gonna be nightmare central for me!" She exclaimed.

Yugi and Cat stayed behind. Yugi was looking around, still trying to find out the source of the voice.

"Yugi? Is something wrong?" Cat asked him.

Yugi shook his head. "No…it's nothing. Let's go home."

Yugi laid in bed, wide awake, thinking about what the Professor told them earlier that day.

Cat was sleeping silently on the other side of his room.

Yami appeared by Yugi's bedside in spirit. "If what the Professor said was true, then this could be our toughest fight yet. And yet, I still wonder…if any of this has a connection to my lost memories." He said.

"I don't know, Pharaoh. But I'm sure everything will be fine." Yugi said.

Yami nodded. "I hope so." He replied.

Deep within the fortress, stone serpents were surrounded by torches. The three bikers came to report to their master.

"Sir…we've have good news. We have found the Pharaoh, but we weren't able to catch his soul." Rafael reported.

"I didn't expect you to catch him so soon." The robed man said.

Rafael walked up to the robed man and presented him a box which held the three Egyptian God Cards.

The robed man took them eagerly.

"Finally! I've been waiting an eternity to be able to hold their power in my hands! Now I possess the force necessary to awaken the great beast!" He said.

The robed man took the three cards out of the box and turned, placing them in the mouths of the stone serpents.

"Soon, we'll destroy mankind and rebuild civilization to the way it was!" He said with an evil smirk. "SERPENTS OF ORICHALCOS! PLEASE ACCEPT THIS OFFERING OF THE GODS OF EGYPT! AND USE THEM TO UNLOCK THE SECRET CHAMBER OF THE GREAT BEAST!"

The God Cards started to glow and lighting came up from them, and into the sky.

Yugi twisted restlessly in his sleep, as the voice continues to call for help from the Pharaoh.

Next to his bed, the Millennium Puzzle activates and Yugi finds himself within its chambers, still in his pajamas.

It wasn't long until he found Yami there.

"Yugi! Someone needs our help." He said.

"I know…but where are they?" Yugi asked looking around.

Suddenly, they both hear the voice again and run to follow it. They split up to search for it, but reunite to find nothing. How can they find anyone in the labyrinth chambers of the puzzle?

They stopped when their heard a soft coo.

Looking up some stairs, there was Kuriboh!

"Hey! I think it wants us to follow it!" Yugi suggested and the two followed the Kuriboh.

After a little while, the Kuriboh flew through a keyhole of a door.

Yami opened it and they found a huge white room.

"Have you ever been in this room, Pharaoh?" Yugi asked.

Yami shook his head. "No…I've never seen this room." He replied.

A shadow flew by and they heard the voice again. They started following the voice again until they started to fall into a vortex; finally coming to a rest in the sky above a castle.

Figuring that was their destination, they made their way to the castle. In the distance, they saw a huge eye surrounded by darkness, absorbing monsters.

Once they came into the castle, they were above three crystal dragon statues in the center of the great hall.

They descended to the ground where they found the Dark Magician Girl!

"Pharaoh…the both of the worlds are in great danger!" She exclaimed, considering that was her greeting. "I'm glad you two have finally arrived."

"So then, the Professor was right!" Yugi said.

"The world of monsters is created by the "thought energy" of the human world. Although our worlds are separate, they depend on each other to survive. But now, something is threatening that survival. A gate between the two worlds has been opened and the great beast will swallow us all! It lies above the sky, feasting on the life force of monsters and humans as it did in the past. If this continues any longer, we'll all be gone forever. Pharaoh…Yugi…you guys are our only hope." The Dark Magician Girl explained. "Most of our companions have been killed…only a few remain."

"We'll help…but you must explain to us…how?" Yami said.

The Dark Magician Girl flew up to the crystal dragon statue's height.

"These dragons are the protectors of the monster world. They defeated the great beast 10,000 years ago. But now, they're frozen in time." She explained.

Yami and Yugi flew up to join her.

"A legend states that three brave warriors will awaken these dragons when they're needed again. I believe that you, Pharaoh, are one of these warriors. And if I'm correct, then you'll be able to remove the sword sticking out of the frozen dragon's eye." The Dark Magician Girl explained.

Yugi and Yami both grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled.

Light began to glow from the ice and the sword suddenly comes out, falling to the floor below.

The ice then began to crack and a mighty blue dragon was finally freed from the ice!

"Nameless dragon! We know your name! It is…Timaeus!" Both Yugi and Yami cried out.

The dragons roared, sending waves of power to Yugi and Yami.

"I can feel that Timaeus has the power to awake all monsters…" Yami mentioned.

"Use this power." The Dark Magician Girl said.

Yugi woke, once again in his bed, wondering if it's morning already.

Cat was awake and looking out the window.

"Yugi!" She cried. "Come look at this!"

Yugi walked up and looked out the window.

"It's happening!" He cried and quickly ran into the bathroom to get dressed.

Cat looked confused, but never the less got dressed herself.

Cat and Yugi ran outside to meet Solomon who was standing on the side walk.

"Monsters seem to be trapped within that light." Solomon said.

Yugi and Cat quickly ran to the town plaza, where many people have come to see what was going on.

"Yugi! Cat! Over here!"

Yugi and Cat looked over to find Joey, Honda and Anzu there.

The two walked over to them.

"You guys came too?" Cat asked.

"Of course! Who could sleep with THIS light?" Honda exclaimed.

They looked up to see crystals of ice forming as monsters are absorbed. Suddenly, the ice shatters and the eye is revealed.

In his fortress, far away, the robed man laughed.

"Alright, Great Leviathan! It's time to show the Nameless Pharaoh what true power is all about! He shall be an offering to our god!"

Suddenly, a huge blast of energy came from the eye and started to head towards Yugi!

Joey, Honda and Anzu ran out of the way, but Yugi stayed. So did Cat.

"Cat! Maybe you should get out of the way!" Yugi cried.

Cat shook her head. "No! I'll explain later!" She replied.

Deciding to trust her, Yugi's duel disk glowed and he pulled out Timaeus's card.

He held the card up and summoned Timaeus.

The dragon appeared and attacked the eye with a blast of flame.

The eye cracks into pieces from the dragon's attack.

And the robed man reeled from the attack.

As the pieces of the shattered eye fell to the ground, Timaeus returned to the card in a flash of lightening.

The Dark Magician Girl appeared to Yugi and Cat.

"Its only just begun, I'm afraid." She said. "The great beast is still weak, so he retreated for the moment. But many monsters remain imprisoned on the other side. The great beast will return again and his power will grow. He must be stopped before he can be fully restored! I wish you two luck…and please be careful." She said before dissolving in pink light.

Yami appeared beside Yugi. "Timaeus is strong…but apparently, not strong enough." Yugi said.

Yami nodded. "We must release the other two dragons." He said.

Yugi looked at Timaeus's card. "This…is our power." Yami finished before he faded back into the puzzle.

Yugi turned to Cat.

"Cat? What were you going to explain to me earlier?" Yugi asked.

Cat blinked. "Oh yeah." She said. "You got that dragon from the depths of your Millennium Puzzle, right?"

Yugi raised his eyebrows. "Yeah…how did you know?" He asked.

"I was there." She replied. "While you and Yami-kun were pulling the sword from the dragon's eye, I was nearby. The Dark Magician Girl led me there…but she didn't tell you two I was there. After you two left, she came up to me and explained that she wanted me to help you two as much as I could. She knew about Luna and everything. So I promised that I would help." Cat laughed lightly. "She really is my best friend on the field. She said she would always be there to assist me too."

Yugi smiled. "I'm glad we're not the only ones who have seen this." He said. "We should head back home."

Cat nodded.


	32. Invitation from Pegasus

The next morning, Solomon was sweeping the sidewalk outside the front of the game shop.

Yugi, Cat, Joey, Honda and Anzu sat inside, watching the news in Yugi's room on his laptop.

The news was reporting strange weather patterns and other strange occurrences.

"It seems that what happened in Domino last night, happened all over the world…I guess it WASN'T a dream." Anzu mentioned as Joey picked up the Timaeus card.

"Yugi was able to kick that thing's butt with this card…well…at least we have it." Joey said.

Honda quickly snatched it from his friend's hands.

"I still don't understand how a duel monster card was able to do all that!" He said, looking at it.

Joey snatched it back. "Only a TRUE duelist can tell when a card is special and must be handled with care!"

"I don't know if that's the case, Joey." Cat said with a small smile as Yugi took the card back.

"Well…we know one thing…we don't know what else this card can do." Yugi said, looking at the card.

Yami appeared beside Yugi and nodded.

"That card contains the spirit of an ancient dragon…and even though it protected us, it could be dangerous." He said.

"You know…I think we should do something!" Anzu said.

"GREAT idea! But…what SHOULD we do?" Joey asked her.

"Well we could start with the monster sightings…or the giant eye that tried to blast us." Honda suggested.

"Or that motorcycle gang?" Cat added in.

Joey rubbed his head. "I don't think I'm catchin' on…"

Yami and Yugi looked at each other.

Joey grabbed the card from Yugi again.

"Maybe if we can get this dragon out of the card, it could give us a clue!" He suggested.

Honda bapped him on the head. "Hey! Whatever happened to "handling it with care", huh Mr. True Duelist?!" He snapped.

"HEY! Why you!" Joey growled and the two boys grabbed each other's shirts, about to get into a fight until they saw Solomon walk in.

They quickly let go of each other.

"Yugi…you have a package from America." Solomon said handing Yugi the package and leaving the room.

"Thanks Grandpa." Yugi said and looked at the label.

"Is it from Duke?" Anzu asked.

"No…it's from Pegasus!" Yugi said.

Joey, Honda and Anzu stared at the package for another moment before freaking out!

"Arg! Not again! Remember the LAST time he sent you a package, Yugi?? He took your grandpa's soul!" Honda cried. "We should just toss the thing!"

"But we have to open it first!" Anzu said.

"Sorry guys, but I'm with Honda on this one. I'm tired on dat guy and his soul snatchin' ways!" Joey exclaimed.

Cat looked at the other three, clueless.

"Ah…we hadn't met you at that time. I'll tell you the story later." Yugi said to Cat before opening the package.

There was a videotape and a duel monsters card!

"I say we tape over that tape with Saturday morning cartoons!" Joey said.

"Wait a minute guys…Pegasus doesn't HAVE the Millennium Eye anymore." Anzu pointed out.

"That's true…he was a little less creepy when we left. Someone stole it, right?" Honda said.

Yugi nodded.

Yami appeared beside Yugi in spirit again.

"Pharaoh…what do you think we should do?" Yugi asked.

"Well…I think we should listen to what Pegasus has to say…after all, he did create the card game…maybe he has something to do with all this." Yami answered. "Besides…it's true he doesn't have the Millennium Eye anymore…so he can't take anymore souls."

"Alright then." Yugi said as he popped the tape into the VCR while Joey, Honda and Anzu cringed a little.

Pegasus appeared on the screen.  
"Hello, Yugi-boy. It's been such a long time since I've last heard from you. You could have at least sent me an e-mail!" He started.

Cat sweatdropped. "He almost sounds like a girlfriend who hasn't heard from her boyfriend in a long time." She said.

"I'm positive you have heard of the recent situations and whatnot." Pegasus continued. "Lucky for me, Kaiba is taking most of the heat. But at the same time, it's ruining the reputation of my game! And I can't have that. Besides…I know who really is behind all this. But it's too risky to leave any information on this tape. I must see you in person before I can share anymore information. I've left you a one of a kind duel monsters card. And I STRONGLY suggest you don't lose it. Well then…I'll see you in America."

The tape ended.

"There's no way we can trust dat guy…" Joey was the first to speak.

Yami appeared beside Yugi again.

"I think we should go. Pegasus may be our only hope right now." He said.

Yugi nodded. "Yeah." He said and stood up. "Well, I'm going!"

"Well if dat's da case, I'm going to be right by Yug's side!" Joey said, smiling.

Cat smiled. "Me too!" She said.

"And count us in." Honda and Anzu said at the same time.

"Thanks guys." Yugi said.

"Ey! What are friends for? Other than helping you defeat a freak who's trying to take over the world! Besides! We get to go to America for free!" Joey said happily.

Little did the five friends know a ladybug outside their window with a blinking antenna was eavesdropping on them.

It's a listening device that Rex and Weevil are using to listen in on their conversation!

"Hmph! Why does Pegasus need those losers?!" Rex wondered out loud. "He should have given the tape to me!"

"Shut up! Listen…just because we weren't invited to the party, doesn't mean we can't show up, Rex. We'd get to see how all the cards are made!" Weevil said.

Rex started to think…he pictured Yugi, Cat, Joey, Honda and Anzu getting a bunch of rare and valuable cards from Pegasus.

"All those cards should belong to me!" Rex snapped as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"Yeah! And with those cards, our dueling decks would be unstoppable! We just need to get to Pegasus…and I have a plan." Weevil said with a grin.

At the bottom of the sea, one of the giant eyes laid there, crackling with electricity.

But back on the Fortress Island, the robed man was talking to leviathan.

"Our time will come, great leviathan. By the might of the three Egyptian God Cards the beast has been reborn. And once it is replenished with enough souls, no one will be able to stop us!" The man said. "The boy, summoning Timaeus is only a minor setback."

The man's name is Dartz…

"RAFAEL!" Dartz called.

Rafael approached and kneeled before Dartz. "I know what I must do. I am to find the Pharaoh and drain his power to feed the great beast." He said.

"But we need more than just the Pharaoh's soul." Dartz said.

The other two bikers walked up and kneeled before him too.

"We'll deal with the others too. I'll take care of Kaiba." Amelda said.

"And I have my eye on Jonouchi Katsuya." Valon said.

"Very well then. But Yugi and his friends are on their way to meeting the man we've been keeping an eye on. You must get there before they do." Dartz said. "Go see Pegasus at once!"

"Yes sir!" They all said and left.


	33. To America! AND! Introducing

Meanwhile…moonlight lit up a tall skyscraper. And inside, sitting at his desk, was Pegasus.

His face had a troubled look.

"I just can't believe it…I can't believe the monsters I made famous are now terrorizing people around the world." He said to himself softly and sighed. "Yugi, please come quickly."

"Do you always talk to yourself like that?"

A woman's voice?

Pegasus whipped his head around to find Mai Valentine standing there.

"What? H-how did you get past my security?!" He asked her, shocked.

"I'll never tell." She replied and walked toward him.

Pegasus's cry could be heard through the night…

"I wonder how long we'll be in America?" Anzu asked herself as she packed some thing.

"Ugh, I really need to go shopping one of these days."

"AGH! STUPID SUITCASE!" Honda yelled in frustration at his overfilled suitcase and sighed. "I guess I should leave my Yo-yo behind."

"Yeah. We're all flying out tomorrow to California." Joey said to his sister over the phone. "Yeah, yeah, I packed plenty of sunscreen. Don't catch a cold while I'm gone, 'kay?"

Yugi smiled as he finished packing. Cat was just finishing up.

He looked over and spotted the card Pegasus gave him. It was still lying on his desk.

He picked it up, thinking to himself, "Oh yeah! This is one thing I don't want to forget!"

Yugi spoke to Yami. "Pegasus said this card is one of a kind. Have you ever seen this card before, Pharaoh?"

Yami didn't answer. He looked spaced out.

"Hello? Pharaoh?" Yugi called.

Yami snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh! I'm sorry Yugi. I'm fine…"

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked him.

"Huh? Yes, I'm fine."

"Ah, ah! Don't try to hide it Pharaoh. I can tell you're worried about something. I know you."

Yami sighed. "Alright…I am a little worried. I guess it's because we know so little about this new enemy." He replied.

"If only I knew a little more about my own past, I could be a little more helpful." Yami thought to himself.

"I heard that!" Yugi said.

Yami looked at Yugi, a little surprised.

"Our spirits are connected, remember?" Yugi said.

Yami looked a little speechless and Yugi laughed.

"Don't worry. Maybe you're just worried because I am too. The future of the world depends on us. What if we mess up?" He pondered out loud.

"We won't." Yami answered.

Solomon calling for Yugi and Cat cut their conversation short.

Yami faded back into the Millennium Puzzle as Yugi called that he was coming and headed downstairs with Cat.

When they got downstairs, they saw Solomon standing with a young girl.

"This young lady came to see you." He said before walking away.

"K-Kay!" Cat cried as the two ran down the stairs to greet their friend. "You're back? But I thought-"

"Yeah, I know. I'm supposed to be with Kaiba and Mokuba." Kay interrupted her. "But I decided not to go with them after all. Long story short, I wasn't needed and I didn't want to be bored."

"Well we're happy to see you again Kay!" Yugi said with a smile. "We could probably use your help."

"What do you mean?" Kay asked. "Are you guys in some sort of trouble?"

"Well...no. But we're going to America to meet up with Pegasus. He sent an invitation to come see him. I guess he needs to talk to me about something." Yugi said.

"Did he use a video tape?" Kay asked.

"Yup." Yugi said.

Kay shifted her eyes to the side, unamused. "Sounds like Uncle Pegasus..." She mummered. "Well if it's no trouble, I'd be happy to go with you guys."

"Great!" Cat said. "Besides, I'm sure your Uncle would be happy to see you again."

Kay laughed.  
"Yeah...it's been a while." She said. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow." Yugi answered.

"Ah...then I should probably go get ready then, huh?" Kay said. "Well then. I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

Kay turned and walked out the door, waving her hand to them.

"See you." Cat and Yugi both said and headed back upstairs.

"Well, good night Yugi." Cat said as she got herself into her bed.

"Good night." Yugi replied as he turned out the light and fell asleep in his bed.

Yami was the only one there, in spirit form. He stared through the skylight at the big full moon.

The next morning, everyone met at the airport.

"Is everyone here?" Honda asked.

Cat looked around. "Almost. Here she comes!" She said looking at Kay who was running up.

"Good morning!" She called.

Joey, Honda and Anzu looked over at the girl.

"Kay? You're back already?" Anzu asked. "I thought you were going with Kaiba and Mokuba to do some business after Battle City."

"Yeah well...once I found out what they were doing...I figured I didn't really want to go. Plus I wasn't really needed for this. So I decided to come home and hangout with you guys!" Kay said with a grin.

"Well! That's fine with us!" Honda said.

"You kid's better catch your flight or you'll be late." Solomon said.

"Oh! Right! Bye grandpa!" Yugi said as everyone else said their good-byes and headed off.

"I'll let you guys know if I hear from Professor Hawkins!" Solomon called after them.

Weevil and Rex weren't too far as they watched them. They giggled evilly and ran down a hallway.

Everyone stared out the airport window at the private jet that Pegasus sent them. Everyone was amazed except Kay. She was used to the jets.

"Wow. This jet is pretty impressive." Honda said.

"Nah! It's not big deal!" Joey pretended. "I'll have a whole fleet of these babies someday!"

Honda sweatdropped. "Yeah. You wish."

"I wonder why Pegasus wanted you to fly out here, Yugi." Anzu said.

"I guess it's because he may need help dueling whoever is behind this." Yugi answered.

"Well then! It's a good thing I'm here!" Joey said proudly.

Everyone just sweatdropped and stared at Joey.

"Meh, rich people like Pegasus and Kaiba are generous anyways." Joey said and paused. "Wait. I take back what I just said about Kaiba."

"Is Kaiba in the U.S?" Cat asked.

Yugi nodded. "Yeah, but duel monsters are appearing all over the world. So he must be exhausted."

"Yeah? Jerk deserves it!" Joey said.

Kay gave him a small glare. "Watch it, punk." She said.

Three suits arrived as the gang approached the jet.

"Are one of you kids Yugi Moto?" One of them asked.

"That's me." Yugi replied.

The blond suit told the gang to follow him and told the two other suits to get the luggage.

They entered the jet and were amazed at the luxury.

"Wow! I feel like a rock star!" Anzu exclaimed.

"I bet they serve great food too!" Honda said happily.

Yugi looked at Cat. "Maybe you'll have to fly around in a jet like this when you become a famous singer." He said.

Cat rubbed the back of her head and blushed. "Nah. I probably won't. But thanks." She laughed.

Joey jumped on a seat. "Hey Yug! Take a seat! These chairs are comfy!" He exclaimed.

Cat, Yugi and Kay all took a seat together.

"These are fun to ride in at first. But after a few times, they're just nice to be in. You get used to them." Kay said.

Meanwhile, while the two suits were bringing the luggage in the plane, one of the suits was having trouble picking a bag up. It was too heavy!

"Hey! A little help would be nice!" One of them called to another.

The other suit came and tried to pick it up with the guy, but it was still too heavy!

One of them manages to load it on one of the guy's back and they dump it in the baggage hold.

The men gave it a strange look, as it seemed to have "cried" in protest and the dump.

Finally, the jet took off and the "heavy" bag in the hold flips over.

Inside the bag…were Weevil and Rex.

"Everything's going according to plan, Rex…despite the fact that your FEET ARE ON MY HEAD!" Weevil cried.

"Well you didn't think of everything! I have to go to the bathroom!" Rex whimpered.

"Just hold it!" Weevil snapped.

"Do we have to stay in the bag the whole time?" Rex asked.

"Well, if we got out, we would get caught and then we wouldn't be able to get the rare cards! Stop complaining!" Weevil replied.


	34. Bikers and Dreams

Hours later, as the gang is getting treated like royalty, Rex and Weevil were freezing in their bag.

"We're gonna die! This was a horrible plan!" Weevil cried.

"It's worth it! Keep thinking about the rare cards!" Rex reminded him.

The next morning, the jet finally arrived at the airport. Everyone was eagerly pressed up against the windows to see. Everyone except Kay and Cat.

Cat smiled a little. "Now if only I wasn't in a different world, this would almost seem like home." She said softly.

Cat had already told Kay about how she came here.

Kay laughed a little. "I've been here plenty of times. Nothing new." She said.

Outside the gate, the suits already had a limo ready to take everyone to see Pegasus.

As the suits unpacked the baggage, Anzu spoke up. "I haven't seen this bag before." She noted at the bag, which carried the two mischievous boys in.

Everyone else hasn't seen it either. So the suits take it to the lost in found. Where Rex and Weevil stay, sick and battered from the ride.

And with that, the limo, with everyone inside, ride off into the city.

"Urgh! I don't CARE what they say! Hold all my calls and tell the reporters ONCE AND FOR ALL that Kaiba Corp. has NOTHING to do with all these monster appearances! Understand?!" Kaiba snapped angrily at his employee.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba." The man said before walking off.

Kaiba sat at his desk, annoyed. "Somebody's trying to make a fool out of me. I've worked too hard to regain this company's reputation! This has to stop!" He growled to himself.

Kaiba called Roland on his intercom.

"Do you have any leads in the investigation?" He asked.

"No, sir." Roland replied.

"I want answers NOW! Understood?" Kaiba snapped and turned off the intercom.

He sighed. "The time couldn't be worse…I was just about to announce our latest project."

Suddenly, the office door opened and Mokuba walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Hey, Seto. Check out our database. Someone out there is buying up our shares in Kaiba Corp." He said.

Kaiba looked at their database on his computer.

"You're half right, Mokuba. There is only ONE person who has already bought half of Kaiba Corp.! And he's STILL buying! If they buy anymore shares, I'll lose control of the company. I can't allow that. And there is only one person I know of who could do such a thing." He said.

Just then, the phone rang.

Kaiba picked it up and it was Pegasus!

"Well now, Kaiba-boy. It looks like you and me are partners now." Pegasus said over the phone.

"You snake! This company is mine! I'll never let you take it!" Kaiba snapped at Pegasus.

"I'm not interested in your company, Kaiba-boy. I just needed the upper hand into making you do something for me." Pegasus said.

Kaiba growled. "What?"

"Since both our companies are at stake, I was hoping that we could duel. Just to boost our public image." Pegasus replied.

"You must be out of your mind!" Kaiba snapped again.

"Oh, but if you refuse, Kaiba-boy, I'll buy the rest of your company and take it apart, piece by piece." Pegasus said.

Kaiba glared down at his desk. "Fine! I accept." He said.

"Good! I've set up a dueling arena at duelist kingdom, just for old time's sake. See you there." Pegasus said before hanging up.

Mokuba and Kaiba rode the elevator down together.

"I don't get it bro. You said you wouldn't duel until all the Kaiba lands were opened. You even locked your deck away so you wouldn't be tempted." Mokuba said.

"I know. But the company's at stake. I have to duel." Kaiba answered.

Once they reached basement 5, they approached a big vault.

"Are you sure you wanna go through with this, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"I have no choice, Mokuba. For the sake of our company." Kaiba replied.

To open the vault, Kaiba used a key card and a code. They walked inside the vault.

"You know…Pegasus could have been bluffing." Mokuba suggested.

"I can't take that chance." Kaiba simply said.

They walked up to a box and Kaiba used his key card to unlock it.

"I knew I would going to have to pull out my deck again, but I didn't think it would be this soon." He said.

Kaiba then took out his metal briefcase from its compartment and removed his duel disk.

Kaiba and Mokuba made their way to the Blue eyes white dragon jet.

Mokuba stopped and looked down with a sad look.

Kaiba looked over his shoulder. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I thought we were going to build Kaiba Land." Mokuba replied.

"We will. Just as soon as I teach Pegasus a lesson." Kaiba said as he stepped onto the jet.

Mokuba looked up and laughed, joining his brother.

The limo drove through the city.

"This isn't like back home at all! This is San Francisco! Home of the Golden Gate Bridge and all the seafood you can eat!" Joey said with glee.

"Man, I'm so excited! I've never been to America before!" Honda said happily.

"Well of course it's different! We're in another country after all." Anzu said.

"America and Japan are practically my two homes." Kay laughed.

"But…as much as I wish this was…we're not on vacation. And we need to remember that." Cat reminded.

Yami appeared in spirit form.

"She's right. And based on the message Pegasus sent us, he's obviously in trouble." He said to Yugi.

"Right." Yugi nodded.

Later that day, the limo stopped at an old run down gas station. The limo driver said he would be right back.

After a while Anzu wondered why the driver was taking so long.

"We'd better go check on the guy." Joey said, stepping out of the limo.

Everyone got out too.

But…there was no one at the station at all!

"Hold on a sec, guys…do you hear dat rumbling sound?" Joey asked everyone else.

Everyone listened carefully.

"I don't hear anything." Honda said.  
"Me either." Anzu also said.

"Wait…but I can hear it." Yugi said.

They walked up to the road where a cloud of dust was formed and when the dust left, there was a gang of bikers dressed in all black and helmets covering their heads.

"I don't think they're here to rescue us, guys!" Honda said to the others.

One of the bikers spoke up. "You kids shouldn't be roaming around these parts."

Yami spoke to Yugi. "Yugi…this looks dangerous. Let me take over."

Yugi changed to Yami.

The boys stood in front of the girls.

Honda pushed Anzu behind him, Yami pulled Cat closer to him for protection and Joey stood in front of Kay.  
"You have a problem?" Joey asked.

"Just move on, will ya?" Honda demanded.

"Uh, Honda. It doesn't look like they're taking your advice." Yami stated.

The bikers looked like they were about to charge.

"Eh…I have an idea. RUN!" Joey cried as everyone started to run towards the limo.

Valon and Rafael were watching nearby.

"Looks like the Pharaoh and his pals are ours." Rafael said.

Valon nodded.

"Yeah. They'll never be able to outrun the Choppers." He said.

Before everyone could reach the limo, the bikers surrounded them.

The bikers then pulled out metal poles and started to ride around the group, dragging their metal poles around on the ground to show a threat.

Suddenly, one of them took a swing a Joey.

Joey held an arm up to protect himself, but before anything else happened, the biker's hand was hit by a card, causing the biker to fall of his motorcycle in shock, the pole flying from his hand.

Everyone looked at the card, confused.

The bikers had stopped to look at their fallen comrad. What just happened?

They look around and see nothing…until a woman on a red motorcycle appears out of nowhere!

She wore a red helmet.

"Do any of you guys know who she is?" One of the bikers asked his group.

No one knew.

The biker woman threw more cards, knocking down more bikers as she passed by.

"What's going on?" Anzu asked as Honda grabbed her hand and started to run towards the limo."Let's ask questions later!" He said.

Rafael and Valon were also surprised at this new rider.

Everyone ran to the limo but Joey stopped and picked one of the cards up.

"Harpy Lady?" Joey asked himself out loud.

He stared at it a moment longer until the red biker passed by him and snatched it.

Joey finally realized who it was. "Mai!" He called out.

One of the bikers drove towards her, swinging a chain around. He threw it and it wrapped around her duel disk. She pulled on it, dragging the biker out of his seat.

His bike skidded into a gas tank…which caused a fire!

"That's not good!" Joey exclaimed and ran towards the limo.

He quickly got in and drove the limo away from the gas station.

He looked behind him as the gas station blew up. But sigh with relief when he saw Mai drive out of the smoke.

"So…who saved us?" Anzu asked.

"It was Mai." Joey answered. "I saw her."

Everyone looked amazed.

"But…what is Mai doing out here?" Cat asked.

" I dunno. But it was her alright." Joey answered.

Back nearby the gas station, Valon and Rafael got on their motorcycles.

"Apparently, someone likes to crash our parties. Oh...and by the way. Did you see the Pharaoh and how he seemed to haven been trying to protect that girl with the ponytail the whole time?" Rafael asked.

Valon nodded. "Yeah? What about it?" He asked

"I was thinking...it seems like the Pharaoh cares for that girl...we could probably use that to our advantage." Rafael grinned.

Valon smiled. "I see. Great idea!" He said.

"But for now, we need to find out who took down all our bikers. Let's go Valon." Rafael said as he started to drive off.

"I already know who…and where she's going…Mai." Valon said as he followed Rafael.

Mai had already driven off.

Later…everyone ended up stranded, because the limo overheated.

"Geez Joey! Next time let an expert drive! If you hadn't taken so long, you wouldn't have had to drive fast, and then the engine wouldn't have gotten overheated!" Honda exclaimed.

"What?! I saved our bums and this is the thanks I get?!" Joey snapped.

The two were about to get in another fight until Anzu stepped in and told them to knock it off.

"Now is not the time to be fighting each other." Yami said.

"We need a plan." Cat said.

"We need to find Pegasus." Yami added in.

"Well…it's obvious that whomever is after my uncle, knows that we're all here." Kay said. "I'm a little worried for him…they may have gotten to him first. So we have to be careful."

"But how are we gonna get around with a car?" Joey asked.

"Hey! Look!" Honda exclaimed and pointed out a truck coming. "Hey girls! Do your magic hitch hiking skills!"

"Huh?" Cat, Anzu and Kay asked in unison.

There was a short pause. "Oh I get it. Just do what I do, girls." Anzu said and took the other two girls out to the side of the road while the boys hid behind a rock.

Anzu stuck her thumb out. Kay and Cat shrugged and did the same thing.

Anzu winked at the driver and the driver got all goggle eyed and stopped for the girls immediately.

But he didn't look too happy when the boys came out.

"Hey, great job!" Joey said.

The girls just sweatdropped and they all got on the back of the pickup.

"Well this is nice." Kay said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Hey! Honda, your suitcase is taking up my leg room!" Joey snapped at Honda.

"Yeah? Well so is yours!" Honda snapped back.

"Geez! What do you have in your suitcase anyways?!" Joey asked.

"Here, I'll show you." Honda said.

Honda then pulled out a Japanese toy. "I wanted to tell the Americans about our Japanese culture." He said.

"Okay then, lemme see what else ya got in here!" Joey said snatching the suitcase away from Honda.  
He first pulled out a plushie cat and sweatdropped. "What the?" He asked.

"I can't sleep with out that." Honda said.

Joey's eyes went wide as he pulled out the next item. "What is THIS?!" He asked, holding a pair of boxers with the American flag on them.

"Hey! Not in front of the girls! Give them back!" Honda cried as he snatched his stuff back.

Kay and Anzu laughed at Honda.

Yami seemed to be the only one who noticed Cat sitting in a corner, looking through her deck.

"You alright, Cat?" He asked.

Cat looked up, surprised.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled.

"Ya know, I've been meanin' to ask ya. Why is the Dark Magician Girl your favorite card?" Joey asked Cat.

Cat looked back down at her deck.

"Well…I got this card in the weirdest way." She said. "Back home…about a year ago…I was sleeping. And I had this dream. This darkened figure handed me this card. And he said that he would always be with me. It was so…different. But of course it was only a dream. Well...until the Dark Magician Girl appeared before me and took me here and I met you guys. And when I duel with her, it's almost like I have a friend by my side when she's on the field. It's kind of strange. I used to have questions for her as to why she took me here...but I guess Ishizu answered those questions."

Everyone stared at her.

Cat laughed lightly. "But that's not the only reason why it's my favorite card! I like its effect and how she's strong!"

"I see! That's a great story!" Kay said.

"That's actually kinda cool!" Honda piped in.

Everyone made their comments about how Cat had received the card. Yami was silent.

Yugi appeared beside Yami in spirit form.  
"Something the matter, Pharaoh?" He asked.

"It's just…I remember that…it was me. I gave her the card...in her dream." Yami said.

"What? How did you do that?" Yugi asked.

"I don't know…all I know is that I don't remember it all…so I must have been in my Pharaoh form." Yami replied.

"I see." Yugi said as he faded back to the Puzzle.

"Hey Joey…how did you know that, that biker was Mai?" Anzu asked Joey.

"One of the cards she threw was the Harpy lady. Plus, I got a glimpse of her through her helmet. I was pretty impressed on how she took on those bikers." Joey replied.

"Yeah! She was awesome!" Honda said.

"I'm glad she's on our side then." Anzu replied.

"Too bad she didn't stick around to talk." Cat said.

"Who's Mai, anyway?" Kay asked.

While Joey explained to Kay who Mai was, Yami was thinking about Cat's comment.

Why DIDN'T Mai stick around?


	35. Hermos's Awakening!

Back in San Francisco, Weevil and Rex trudged along the streets.

"Can this day get any worse? I've been stuffed in a gym bad, dumped off at the worst side of town…and been used as a trampoline by a bunch of street PUNKS!" Rex complained.

"No…things can't get worse." Weevil said.

But just after he finished saying that, a mugger ran by and stole Weevil's wallet.

"HEY! COME BACK HERE!" Weevil cried as the two boys started chasing the mugger.

"Can't get ANY WORSE, huh?!" Rex said angrily.

"Shut up!" Weevil snapped.

The situation seemed hopeless, for the mugger was far ahead of them.

But suddenly, the mugger got hit in the head and dropped Weevil's wallet! The mugger quickly took off without it.

"This belong to you?"

Weevil and Rex stopped and stared at the man holding their wallet. It was Duke!

Later, Duke drove his car with Weevil and Rex in the back.  
"I'm surprised you two know Yugi." He said. "What are the odds that I would run into a couple of his friends here in my neck of the woods?"

"What? We're not-" Rex was about to tell Duke that they weren't Yugi's friends but Weevil elbowed him in his arm.

"Y-Yes! We are very good friends of Yugi!" Weevil said with a smile.

"This could be our big break, Rex." Weevil whispered to Rex.

"I have a question. Is the rumor about Yugi losing the Egyptian God Cards true?" Duke asked the two boys.

"Yes! It's true! A bunch of jerks snatched them away from him after the tournament!" Weevil said.

"And we came to help our good buddy get them back!" Rex said.

"And we were hoping that Pegasus would have some information about this all." Weevil said.

"Well…I haven't been able to get in touch with Pegasus for some reason…so we may as well head down to Industrial Illusions anyways." Duke said, driving towards Pegasus's company.

Later…the gang finally made it to Industrial Illusions.

They all stood in the foyer, calling to see if anyone was there.

"That's strange…no one seems to be here? Are they on Holiday?" Joey asked.

"If it WAS a Holiday, the doors most certainly wouldn't be wide open!" Kay pointed out.

Yugi appeared in spirit form. "I have a bad feeling about this." He said.

Yami nodded. "My guess is that the thieves who were after Pegasus has already probably found him." He said.

Cat walked over to a phone and picked it up. "And this is even more strange. This phone doesn't work!" She said.

Suddenly, metal security gates fall and seal all of the doors.

"Oh great! We're trapped!" Honda exclaimed as he tried to get the gates open.

"Don't waste your time, Honda. Those gates are top notch! They can even withstand a bomb!" Kay said with a serious tone.

"We must have been tricked!" Anzu cried.

Suddenly, the red bike from before flew down from somewhere and landed in the middle of the room.

"Is that really Mai?" Joey asked.

The biker took off their helmet and it really WAS Mai!

Joey laughed a little. "Well I hate ta say I told ya so, but I did!" He said to the other five. He turned back to Mai. "What brings you to San Francisco, Mai?"

Mai was silent for a moment.

"I'm not Mai…well…not the Mai you all knew before." She said as she pulled out a card from her duel disk. "But you should know, Pegasus isn't here."

Mai showed everyone the card she had. It was a seal of Orichalcos card! And Pegasus was on it!

Everyone gasped.

"Uncle!" Kay cried.

"Did you do this to him?!" Cat asked.

Joey frowned. "You betta start talkin' Mai!" He said.

"Or else what?"

Everyone looked up, where the voice came from. Valon was standing on a nearby balcony, with Rafael, watching them.

"Oh? Did your little reunion with Mai not goes as planned?" Valon asked Joey.

Joey glared angrily at him.

Valon looked at Mai. "Why are you keeping all these guys to yourself? Why not share the fun with us?" He asked her.

"Mind your own business! These geeks are mine!" Mai snapped at him.

"Mai! What are you talking about?! You're our friend!" Joey exclaimed.

"Why are you doing this?!" Cat cried.

"I can't believe you're betraying us like this! Don't you remember our good-byes at the end of battle city?!" Joey asked.

"Hmph. I was never a part of your little playgroup! If you want to escape this place, you have to defeat me in a duel!" Mai said activating her duel disk. "Starting with you, Joey!"

Joey frowned for a moment longer. "Fine." He said activating his duel disk.

Mai drew a card. "I honestly can't believe I was pathetic enough to call you "friend." You guys were only holding me back to achieve true power! So say hello to my real friend!" She cried as she played a card. "The Seal of Orichalcos!"

Suddenly, the seal formed around Joey and Mai.

"Mai! This seal is messin' with your head! Don't you remember all that we went through together? I don't want to fight you!" Joey said.

Mai just glared at him. The Seal of Orichalcos had appeared on her forehead.

"It's just as I had feared." Yami said.

Cat looked at him. "What?" She asked.

"The Seal is controlling her. And only the winner can leave the Seal." Yami replied.

Cat looked at Mai and Joey hopelessly. "I don't want either of them…to get trapped in that seal." She said quietly. "They truly cared for each other."

"This is just horrible." Honda added in.

They dueled a little before any of them spoke up.

"Mai! Please! Stop this! Somebody's gonna get hurt!" Joey pleaded with Mai.

Mai smirked. "But that's the point, Joey." She said.

"I can't…I won't lose you again, Mai! I don't want to duel you like this! We've got to stop the duel!" Joey cried.

Mai scoffed at him. "Whatever. Wait are you waiting for?" She asked.

"I'm waiting for you to come back to your senses!" Joey replied.

"I still can't believe that Mai would side with the enemy." Honda said.

"It's all because of the Orichalcos thing." Kay said.

"Yes. And one of them is going to lose their soul." Yami said.

"Mai! You can't do this! You're putting your life in danger!" Cat called to Mai.

But Mai ignored her.

Yugi appeared by Yami in spirit.

"Pharaoh! There's gotta be something we can do!" Yugi said.

"There isn't, unfortunately. The puzzle is powerless against the seal." Yami replied.

"Hey! Pharaoh! Stop mumbling to yourself down there! May I remind you that nothing can break the seal! Not even a Millennium Item!" Valon called down to Yami.

"And once Mai steals your friend's soul, I'm taking yours next." Rafael added in.

Yami glared at the two.

"Oh, go back to your cage! Once I'm through with Joey, Yugi's my next victim, understand?!" Mai snapped at Rafael.

Rafael looked at Valon. "I don't think I've ever liked her." He said. "Anymore lip from her, and she's next."

"Oh give her a break. She's new at this. Besides. She's kind of cute when she's mad." Valon said.

Cat looked at Yami, then at Mai, then at Valon and Rafael.

"This is bad." She whispered to herself. "Everyone seems to be after Yami's soul. The Dark Magician Girl asked me to help Yami out…I can't let them take his soul! No matter what."

"So are you going to make your move or what?" Mai asked Joey.

"I'm not gonna DUEL with you, Mai!" Joey snapped.

"Oh? Are you afraid you're going to lose?" Mai asked him. "Like you did in Battle City?"

"No! I'm afraid I'm gonna win! Because if I do, you're gonna lose your soul!" Joey replied.

"So what?" Mai said. "The Mai you knew is gone. I traded my soul for power. The old Mai was too lonely and pathetic. So my weak side is gone for good."

"Well, I liked the old Mai better! And I'm gonna get her back!" Joey said.

"Be careful, Joey!" Anzu called to him.

Honda covered his eyes. "I can't watch! Not if Joey's gonna lose on purpose to save Mai!" He said.

"Would Joey really lose the duel on purpose to save Mai?" Yugi asked Yami.

"This isn't the first time Joey has risked his life to save her." Yami replied.

"But this time, the force we're up against is too strong. We can't stop it." Yugi says.

"Don't give up hope, Yugi. We may have something that can defeat the power of the seal. Timaeus." Yami said, pulling out the card and looking at it.

Rafael looked at Yami. "If the Pharaoh thinks he can use his dragon card to get his friend out of this, then he'd better think again." He said.

"Joey, I knew you would be easy to defeat…but not this easy." Mai said, placing a face down card.

Meanwhile, Duke, Rex and Weevil had made it to the ruins of the old gas station.

"This doesn't look good." Duke said. "Hang on you two!"

Duke then jammed on the accelerator and the car speed down the street.

"What's going on?" Weevil asked Duke.

"I don't know. But I have a hunch." Duke replied.

"Seto…I can't seem to get a hold of Pegasus." Mokuba said as they continued to ride in the blue eyes white dragon jet.

They had already dueled Amelda, who was disguised as Pegasus. There, Kaiba received his own dragon card. He was one of the warriors.

"I had a feeling that would happen. Whoever Amelda was working for, apparently got their hands on Pegasus." Kaiba said. "And they'll be expecting me next."

"Does that mean we're just flying into a trap?" Mokuba asked.

"That's what I want them to think. I'm not afraid of danger." Kaiba replied.

He looked at his dragon card. Critius. The fang of Critius.

Once he had received it from the same chamber as Yugi and Yami got the eye of Timaeus, he was able to defeat Amelda.

Every card created was in Kaiba's database. All except this one.

He didn't really believe the supernatural power of the card.

Shaking off his thoughts, he returned his concentration to driving the jet.  
"We have to hurry." He said.

"Why didn't you tell us you were so unhappy?! We would have helped you!" Joey said to Mai.

Mai had just finished telling Joey and everyone about her past after Battle City and all the hardships she went through. And they weren't there to help her.

"Save it! I don't need your help anymore! The only thing I need is power!" Mai snapped at him.

"Joey's about to lose the duel! Isn't there anything he can do?" Kay asked Yami.

"He must find a way to break the seal." Yami replied.

"But then Mai will lose her soul!" Anzu pointed out.

"There has to be a way that Joey can save Mai and not lose his soul at the same time." Yami said.

After a while, Joey was about to give up.

Valon and Rafael note that Joey seems weak and that Dartz only wants the souls of strong duelists.

But before Joey gives up, Yami convinces him to stay in the game and gives him some words of encouragement.

Joey decides to continue the duel.

After a while of dueling, Duke drives up to the Industrial Illusions building and quickly gets out of the car, running up to the security gates, Rex and Weevil following him.

Rex and Weevil are horrified to see the same seal that they were trapped in.

"HEY! GUYS!" Duke called to the gang.

Everyone turned around, surprised to see Duke, Rex and Weevil.

"Are you guys dueling in there?" He asked.

"It's a long story and we don't have time for chit chat!" Anzu exclaimed.

"We're trapped in here! Can you find a way out?" Honda asked him.

Duke nodded. "I'll go look for one!" He said, running off.

He ran around the back and tried all doors, but they were locked!

"Darn it! Don't ANY of these doors open?!" He cried in frustration.

After a moment more, he was finally able to find a door that opened!

"Are you just stalling for time or what? Because it's really annoying." Mai said.

Joey looked at his deck. "If I don't find a way out of this mess, I'm done for." He said.

Suddenly, Joey's deck started to glow.

And when that happened, Yami's Eye of Timaeus card started to glow too! And it wasn't long until two cylinders of light surrounded the two!

Even on the Blue eyes white jet, the fang of Critius started to glow!

Yami and Joey find themselves in the same chamber where Yami and Kaiba of their dragons.

"Whoa! Where are we?" Joey asked.

"We're in the dominion of the beasts." Yami answered, looking at the final dragon. "This sculpture is a dragon frozen in time. And it has chosen you to release it. You must remove the sword to awaken the ancient dragon."

As soon as Joey touched the sword, he felt someone speaking to him through it.

Finally, he pulled it out and cried out the dragon's name! "Hermos!"

The dragon came to life!

Before they knew it, they were back at the duel.

"Whoa…was that all just a dream?" Joey asked.

"No." Yami answered. "There is now a dragon in your deck as well."

Since it was Joey's turn, he drew a card and was amazed to find it was the Claw of Hermos!

"Alright then! Mai! You're about to meet my new friend! Hermos!" Joey cried as he held up his new card.

Valon and Rafael were shocked.  
"How did an idiot like him get his hands on a card like THAT?!" Valon exclaimed.

"No matter. It all depends on how he uses it. That will be his test." Rafael said calmly.

Meanwhile, Duke ran through the hallways, trying to find his friends.

But he stopped when he spotted a bunch of computers. He walked over to the desk and sat down.

"This must be the security system!" Duke exclaimed and started working at the computer.

After a while, the duel is getting close.

Mai is now shaking. "I won't lose…I won't go back to that place." She said.

"She's lost it." Rafael said.

Valon jumped down from the balcony and used his Orichalcos stone, which was in his ring, to break the seal.

The seal blew up and flung everyone back.

As the smoke cleared, Mai and Joey were unconscious.

Valon picked Mai up.

Rafael joined Valon. "Why did you do that? You disobeyed Master Dartz to save some girl!" He exclaimed.

"She's not just some girl!" Valon replied.

Rafael sighed.  
"Fine. I'll just make up for it by taking the Pharaoh's soul." He said as he raised up his Orichalcos amulet in the air. "This power puts the puzzle's power to shame." He said before in a shine of bright light, Rafael, Valon and Mai were gone.

Suddenly the security doors open. Duke finally was able to crack the security system!

The gang ran up to Joey as he was just coming to, holding his head.

"Where's Mai?" He asked.

"She's gone…those two biker freaks left with her." Honda answered.

Joey pounded a fist against the ground.

"I was so close! I'LL GET HER BACK!" He shouted.


	36. A Message from Pegasus

No one seemed to notice the blue eyes white jet land in front of the building.

Kaiba and Mokuba got out and started to head towards the building.

"I just can't believe I let that happen…" Joey continued to whimper.

"Joey, just face it! Mai turned her back on us! She was after your soul!" Honda exclaimed.

Kaiba and Mokuba walked in.

"Oh great…what are you guys doing here?" Kaiba asked, not looking very thrilled to see them.

"Pegasus called for us." Yami answered.

Duke ran in. "Whoa! It's a party in here!" He said.

"No, it's a dweeb convention." Kaiba said.

Kay stepped in front of Kaiba.  
"Oh, knock it off Kaiba! No need to pick on them!" She said.

Kaiba looked shocked. "Kay?" He asked.

"Kay-chan!" Mokuba cried happily and ran over to Kay, hugging her. "I missed you!"

Kay smiled and hugged him back. "I missed you too Mokey. Even though, honestly, it hasn't been that long."

"I thought you didn't want to come to America." Kaiba said. "You said you would probably be bored with all the meetings and such."

"Yeah well, I came here with Yugi, Cat, Joey and everyone else! We're here for a mission!" Kay said. "That's not as boring as sitting in meetings."

Kaiba huffed. "Well that does sound like you." He said.

Kay just stuck her tongue out at him.

"Anyways, have any of you dorks seen Pegasus around?" Kaiba asked the group.

"No…we were too late." Yami replied.

"Mai got to him before we could and stole his soul with the Orichalcos thing." Honda said.

"Kaiba, have you had any experience with the Seal of Orichalcos card?" Yami asked.

Mokuba jumped in.

"My bro sweeped the floor with someone who played that card! For some reason, the person was disguised as Pegasus and forced my brother to duel him at Duelist Kingdom. But we found out who he was." He said.

"But when we won, he ran away. So we came here to find some answers." Kaiba added in.

"Pegasus told us that someone was after him and he gave us a card. He told us to guard this card with our life." Yami said and pulled out the card that Pegasus had sent them. It had a picture of a key on it. "It might be some sort of clue."

"You know…now that I think about it…there was a door that wouldn't open even after I cracked the security system. Maybe that's a key card." Duke suggested.

Kaiba looked at Duke. "Ok then! Take me there right now!" He demanded.

Honda frowned at Kaiba.

"Yeah? Well who invited you?!" He snapped.

Yami walked over to Joey who was still on the floor, depressed that he lost Mai.

"It'll be alright, Joey. Let's go." Yami said to him.

Joey looked up at Yami. "Alright." He said and stood up. "Thanks."

Everyone walked onto the elevator, to the floor where the locked door was.

"I don't like being ignored." Rex whispered to Weevil as they got on the elevator with the rest.

"Well, it might be easier if we sneak in and grab whatever's behind that door!" Weevil whispered back.

Once the gang reached the top floor, Duke took them to the door.

"Well…here we are. Now we just need to figure out how to open the door with a Duels Monster Card." He said.

Yami walked up to the door and slid the card through the card reader. Once he did that, the door opened, revealing a large dark room.

"So…who wants to go in first?" Honda asked.

"Maybe we can draw straws?" Joey suggested.

"Hmph." Kaiba huffed and walked in. Mokuba and Kay followed him.

Everyone else followed them.  
"I suggest we close the door and run!" Joey said.

Everyone else pretty much ignored him.

Once everyone got in, the lights turned on to reveal LARGE statues of Duel Monsters! Well…Pegasus's favorite Toon Duel Monsters, with a large version of Toon World in the center.

"I hate toons." Kaiba grumbled.

"Hey Rex. I'll betcha he has his rare cards hidden in here." Weevil whispered to Rex.

"Probably." Rex agreed.

Suddenly, a hologram of Pegasus appeared.

"Hello, Yugi-boy. I did the entire interior decorating myself. Do you like it?" He greeted.

"Nobody likes it." Honda mummered.

"Shut up!" Kay hissed at him.

"Anyways, if you're hearing this, Yugi-boy, then it can only mean that the people who were after my soul have captured me. It all started when a mysterious person tried to buy my company." Pegasus said.

"Funny. Mine started the same way." Kaiba said.

"This individual, named Dartz, possesses an ancient power stronger than I have ever seen. You're all in danger. Dartz plans on using my game to destroy civilization and he must be stopped. The key to taking him down in somewhere in this room." Pegasus continued. "Ever since my retirement began, I've furthered my studies on the ancient Egyptian origins of Duel Monsters. And I have discovered that those monsters have been around even before the pyramids were built."

"In the city of Atlantis." Yami added in.

"That is where Dartz comes in. He's trying to resurrect the most terrifying beast that ever roamed the earth. The Great Leviathan. He's doing it by draining the souls of man and beast to build up the strength of this monster. You're our only hope, right now." Pegasus said. "I've created a card just for you, Yugi. And I've hidden it somewhere in this room. Think strategically…where in this room would allow you to have extra cards?"

Yami looked around and spotted the Pot of Greed. Of course!  
"It's the Pot of Greed! In the game it allows you to draw two more cards, plus it's the only thing in here that's not connected to toon world." He exclaimed.

Rex and Weevil ran to the pot but Honda got there first. He reached in and pulled out a blank card.

"That card's worthless." Kaiba said.

"Yugi, you're the only one who can save the Duel Monsters." Pegasus said before the hologram disappeared.

"I can't believe this is happening! Mai has joined an organization that's trying to destroy the world?!" Joey cried. "They must have brainwashed her or something!"

"Hmph…I'll be this is some hoax Pegasus is pulling. Just like in Duelist Kingdom. There's no one running around stealing souls of others with cards. I'll bet Pegasus is just trying to get a hold of my company again!" Kaiba said angrily.

"That's enough, Kaiba. It's not all about you." Yami said calmly and pulled out the Eye of Timaeus card.

Kaiba was shocked when he saw that card.

"Where did you get that?" He asked.

"Same place I got mine." Joey said, pulling out the Claw of Hermos.

"I know you have one too, Kaiba." Yami said.

Kaiba pulled his dragon out, The Fang of Critius.

"I believe that with these three cards, we can defeat Leviathan." Yami said.

The cards started to glow.

"My mind must be playing tricks on me." Kaiba said.

"My card is doing the same thing." Joey said.

"It feels as if the cards are calling out to us." Yami said.

The glow faded and disappeared.

"I was told that fate had chosen three modern-day warriors to release these legendary beasts." Yami said.

"Get real, Yugi. I'm the one who decides my own fate!" Kaiba said.

"Will you just be reasonable for once?" Yami asked him. "We have to do this as a team."

"I don't do the teamwork thing." Kaiba replied. "I've got a multi-million company to run."

And with that, he turned to leave, with Mokuba following him.


	37. Death Valley

"Ah, we don't need that Kaiba weighing us down! With Hermos, those freaks won't stand a chance!" Joey said proudly.

"Well, I'm glad to see Joey's back to his old self." Honda said.

On the other side of the room, Rex and Weevil searched for more duel monster cards.

"Have you found any yet, Rex?" Weevil whispered.

Rex shook his head. "Not yet! But keep looking!" He whispered back.

Kay looked over at the two.

"I can't help but wonder what those two are up to?" She wondered out loud.

When the two boys heard this, they figured they'd better cover up.

"R-Rex! Have you found my glasses yet?" Weevil asked loud enough for them to hear.

"N-No! Not yet!" Rex replied.

"Well keep looking!" Weevil said.

Honda stood by Kay. "Oh yeah…not suspicious in anyway, huh?" He said sarcastically.

"So, what are we going to do next?" Anzu asked.

"We should go find Dartz and his goon squad and rescue Mai! That's what!" Joey said with energy.

"Uh, Joey. Might I point out that the "goon squad" split without leaving an address. Sorry, it's not gonna work like that." Honda pointed out.

"I think we should chill at my place and play Dungeon Dice Monsters!" Duke suggested.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!" Joey, Honda, Kay and Anzu all snapped at him.

Duke held up his hands in defense. "I was just kidding, calm down!" He laughed lightly.

"You know…I remember that Professor Hawkins lives around here. He may have some information that could help us." Yami added in.

"But how are we going to get there?" Cat asked.

Joey looked out the window and saw Kaiba's jet lifting off. "I have an idea!" He cried and ran to the window, trying to flag Kaiba for a lift.

But the jet flew off.

"Aw, man! I thought it would work!" Joey pouted.

"There's two possibilities, if I know Kaiba. The first one is…he didn't see you…and the second one is…he did see you. Both end in the same result." Kay said.

"Hey, it's no problem! We can take my car! We just have to all squeeze in a little." Duke said.

"Hey! What about us?" Weevil and Rex asked at the same time.

"What I want to know is what you two are doing here anyways?" Honda said.

The two boys laughed nervously.

It was a tight squeeze, but everyone was able to fit in.

Rex and Weevil ended up riding in the open trunk with the luggage.

"I can't believe it! Even after following Yugi this far, we haven't gotten any cards at all!" Weevil complained.

"But Show time's about to start! Professor Hawkins is a crazy card collector who must have lots of rare cards!" Rex said.

Anzu sat in the front seat with a map, looking at it.

Honda was offering unhelpful suggestions from the back seat.

He pointed at the map. "I think this is a nice shortcut!" He said.

Anzu glared at him. "WHY do you want to go to ALASKA!" She asked.

"Honda…do you even know how to read a map?" Cat asked him.

"We've got to get Mai back. I still can't believe she'd join some evil plot to destroy all mankind. We all want to become true duelists…but it shouldn't be this way." Joey thought to himself.

Yugi appeared by Yami in spirit.  
"Based on what Pegasus said, Dartz controls a force that's ten thousand years old. Even older than you, Pharaoh." Yugi said.

"The Orichalcos appears to be more powerful than any magic we've ever experienced." Yami said.

"It seems to be connected to Professor Hawkin's theory. I hope he can tell us what to do. But you've got to stay calm, Pharaoh." Yugi said.

"I know. But we lost Mai to our enemies, Pegasus's soul was taken and we failed to get Kaiba's help. It will be a hard task." Yami replied and looked at all his friends. "We've already lost too many things…I'm afraid of losing more."

"Don't worry…everything will be fine." Yugi said.

Elsewhere, Valon was getting yelled at.

"How DARE you interrupt my duel with Joey! I was just about to win!" Mai snapped at Valon.

"What? I saved your soul, and this is how you repay me?" Valon said.

"Who asked to be saved?!" Mai snapped. "Maybe next time you'll butt out!"

Rafael stood up, looking a little grim. "Mai, you have no idea how much danger you were in. Do you remember the Hermos card that Joey had? It's an ancient dragon that can only be controlled by a chosen one." He said.

"Joey was chosen to have that scrawny butt of his kicked by a real duelist!" Mai huffed and rode off on Valon's motorcycle. "Joey won't escape me this time."

"Ugh…I can't let Mai get hurt. I'll make up for her…I'll defeat Joey myself." Valon said.

"Forget her and focus on the Pharaoh…and his weakness. Once we get him out of the way, the others will fall right into our hands. My plan in already in place." Rafael said.

Meanwhile, in a home below a hillside, Professor Hawkins sat at his desk, studying the photos from the Atlantean ruins. He notes that one image appears over and over. "But what is it? Doma?" He asked himself.

On the hills outside of the house, Rebecca was riding her horse, Copernicus. She stopped when she saw a helicopter fly overhead and lands in front of her house.

She gasped as she saw men wearing black, jump out and kidnap Professor Hawkins.

"Grandpa!" She cried and tried to ride over to help him, but came too late. She turned her horse around to follow the helicopter, but suddenly, the house exploded! Knocking her and her horse to the ground.

A single duel monster card fluttered to the ground and landed next to her. She picked it up.

"GRANDPA!" She cried.

Later that night, everyone finally made it to Professor Hawkins's house. Well…the ruins at least.

Everyone was horrified at the ruins.

They started to call for Professor Hawkins.

But they got Rebecca instead.

"Rebecca! What happened?" Yugi asked. He had changed back to normal on the way.

"Grandpa was kidnapped!" Rebecca cried and flung herself onto Yugi, crying.

"Don't worry Rebecca! I promise we'll find him." Yugi said, trying to comfort the girl.

Everyone gathered in the Professor's motor home.

"I wonder who would kidnap the Professor?" Anzu wondered as she made tea.  
"It HAD ta be Dartz." Joey said.

"But why would they want to kidnap the Professor?" Honda wondered.

"It must have had something to do with the ruins he found." Duke said.

"Yeah. They took him because he knows too much information that they don't want him spreading around." Cat added in.

"Which is…bad for us." Kay said.

"Wait, I have an idea." Yugi said and turned to Rebecca. "Do you still have that stone I gave to your grandfather?"

"I've been wearing it on a chain." Rebecca said and took it off, handing it to Yugi.

"Maybe that's what Dartz was after." Honda suggested.

"I think we should just find this Dartz, break in, and save the Professor." Duke said.

"But how will we find them?" Rebecca asked.

"The Professor doesn't have what Dartz's people want, so they'll probably come back." Yugi pointed out.

"Well! If we're going to wait, I want something to eat!" Honda said, smiling.

"'Ey, dun worry! I'll whip up something for us!" Joey said with pride.

"I'm not eating anything YOU cook." Kay and Anzu said at the same time.

"Would it be alright if we used your kitchen?" Cat asked Rebecca.

Rebecca nodded.

"I'll help." Duke said.

"Can you cook?" Joey asked.

"A little…" Duke answered.

"I'll help as much as I can…but as long as it doesn't include COOKING anything. I can chop vegetables and whatnot." Cat said.

"Why won't you help with the actual cooking?" Anzu asked.

"Because I am the WORST cook on the face of the earth. Just take my word for it from there." Cat said, grinning with embarrassment.

"I can take a hint. Don't worry! I'm pretty good at cooking!" Kay said.

The conversation went on as they gang marched into the kitchen.

"Your grandfather will be alright, Rebecca. Don't worry." Yugi said.

"Thank you, Yugi." Rebecca said quietly.

Everyone got to work.

Duke, Kay and Anzu got to cooking while Cat and Tristan set the table.

Joey raided the refrigerator and came out with a mouthful of sausages.

Honda frowned at Joey and kicked him in the head. "Eat THAT!" He snapped.

"Ow!" Joey cried. "How are ya supposed ta eat a kick in the head?"

"Actually…I don't know. By the way, where did Rex and Weevil go?" Honda asked.

"I don't know. Yugi and Rebecca are gone too." Joey answered.

Rex and Weevil searched through the ruins of Professor Hawkins' house, looking for rare cards.

"Hey! I think I found something!" Rex cried and pulled out a regular deck of playing cards. He sweatdropped disappointed. "Oh wait…nevermind."

"Well keep looking!" Weevil ordered Rex.

"But the old guy doesn't have any rare cards! He's just a professor! Not a duelist!" Rex said.

They sighed and took a break.  
"I'm hungry." Weevil said.

"Me too." Rex agreed.

Suddenly, they heard something and whipped their heads in the direction of the noise.

It was Rebecca and Yugi! They went outside to talk.

"I'm scared. Yugi? Will you really save my grandpa?" Rebecca asked.

Yugi nodded. "Of course." He replied.

"Thank you. Oh yeah, this is the card I wanted to show you." Rebecca said as she pulled out the card that landed next to her when the house exploded. It came with a note to Yugi!

The note said: "Come to Death Valley if you want to see your friend again."

"How far is Death Valley?" Yugi asked.

"It's about an hour away by car." Rebecca answered.

"Alright. But I have to go alone. I put everyone in enough danger as it is." Yugi said.

"It's not your fault." Rebecca said.

"But I'm the one they want. You'll be safer here." Yugi said. "And…could you not tell the others where I'm going? I don't want them to follow me."

Rebecca nodded.

Weevil and Rex were hiding and listening onto their conversation.

"Interesting." Weevil said.

But all four of them didn't see Cat, who came out to tell everyone it was time for dinner. She had heard everything.

"Whether he likes it or not, I'm coming anyways." She whispered to herself. "I made a promise."

The first thing Professor Hawkins noticed was that he was lying on the floor of a shed. Rafael stood in the doorway.

"You must forget everything you've discovered." He warned the professor.

Professor Hawkins sat up.  
"But those ruins are a part of history!" He protested.

Rafael stepped inside the shed and the Professor noticed the Orichalcos stone around his neck.  
"Where did you get that?" The Professor asked.

"You're too curious for your own good. Forget your research. We have already burned down your laboratory and destroyed everything you had found. So you're no longer a threat." Rafael said.

"You can't stop people from studying those ruins, as long as they remain in the world!" Professor Hawkins said.

"It's impossible. And explanation why would be meaningless. Stop worrying. You're free to go." Rafael said.

Back in the temple, Dartz was taking to Leviathan again.

"Great Leviathan! Your time draws near! Soon we'll finish what we began so long ago!" He said and laughed.

Everyone slept soundly in the motor home. Everyone except Yugi. He got up, knowing he had much to do. It was time to face those creeps.

Rebecca woke up and looked at him.  
"Don't worry. I'll be back." Yugi whispered and walked outside where Copernicus, Rebecca's horse, waited, all saddled up.

As Yugi got onto the saddle, he switched with Yami, who sat up on the horse and rode away.

Cat was awake the whole time and got up, about to follow Yami.

"Cat? What are you doing?" Rebecca whispered to her.

"I know where Yugi's going." Cat whispered back. "And I know about your guys' secret. But I have to follow him. I made a promise."

She snuck around her sleeping friends before…she tripped over Joey. Waking him up.

"Wha?!" Joey cried as he sat up and looked around. "Cat! What are ya doin'?! And where's Yugi?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell!" Rebecca said.

"How could ya let him leave like dat?!" Joey snapped.

It wasn't long until everyone was up.

"Joey take it easy on Rebecca!" Kay said.  
"You would have done the same thing." Anzu added in.

"But I would have talked Yugi out of it." Honda said.

"Urg! I can't stand it! I'm gonna go after him!" Joey said and ran out the door, with Honda following him.

"Slow down!" Honda called.

It wasn't long until the two stopped.

It was Professor Hawkins!

He was making his way towards them, leaning on a walking stick. Joey ran over and caught him before he fell.

"Grandpa!" Rebecca cried as she ran up to Professor Hawkins.

"Where's…Where's Yugi?" He asked weakly.

Still on their journey, Yugi appeared by Yami in spirit.

"As long as we have Timaeus, we'll be fine." Yugi said.

"But Rafael has the Seal of Orichalcos." Yami pointed out.

"Well…no matter what. You'll never be alone." Yugi said.

Rebecca was able to take her grandfather to bed.

And outside, Joey, Honda and Duke prepared to leave.

"Hold the fort down for us while we're gone, alright?" Joey told Anzu.

"Yeah, and watch out for Rex and Weevil. I don't trust those guys." Honda added in.

"I'm going too!" Cat said as she walked up to them.

"What? No way! You stay here!" Joey said.

Cat shook her head.  
"I was going to follow Yugi anyways before I tripped over you." She said.

"It's way too dangerous. You should just stay here." Honda said.

"Are you saying I'm weak? I made a promise to the Dark Magician Girl that I would help and protect Yugi and the Pharaoh all I could! I'm not about to back down now!" Cat said with a serious tone.

"Wait, what? You promised your favorite card?" Joey asked.  
"It's not like that!" Cat said and sighed. "It's a long story. I'll explain it later. Besides, I don't want you guys worrying about me all the time. I'll be fine. Now let's go!"

Joey sighed. "I don't suppose that we have much of a choice." He said.

Cat smiled.

Rex and Weevil rode a beat-up tandem bike that they found in the ruins of the Professor's house.

They were heading towards Yami and Rafael's showdown, determined to find out how they made Mai into such a strong duelist. They spotted Yami pass by on a ridge overhead and they started to pedal faster.

Rebecca sat at her grandpa's bedside with the "Ties of Friendship" card that Yugi gave her, in her hands.  
"Please be careful, Yugi." She said.

"Hang in there Yug. We're on our way!" Joey cried as him, Duke, Honda and Cat all rode in the car, towards Death Valley.


	38. Two Souls

Yami had finally reached Death Valley…there, Rafael waited.

Duke's car sped across rocks as Joey and Honda urged Duke to hurry.

Cat sat in the front seat silently.

Duke frowned slightly. "ALRIGHT! Hang on!" He said and floored it.

The car ended up taking the air and landing safely. Duke continued driving.

"Is everyone in one piece?" He asked.

Cat looked a little frazzled. "I-I'm fine." She said and turned to look at the boys in the back.

"Are you two oka-" She stopped.

"What is it?" Duke asked.

"Um…they're gone." She said.

"Huh?!" Duke stopped the car and looked at the back seat. They were indeed empty.

"Great." He mummered. "I TOLD them to buckle up when we left!"

He unbuckled, grabbed some binoculars and started to search the desert behind them.

"Oh! There they are!" He said.

The two boys ran towards the car…looking a little beat up.

Duke sighed and shook his head.

"Well…at least they'll buckle up this time." Cat pointed out.

Rafael waited patently for the Pharaoh to arrive.

"This duel…will be his last." He thought to himself as he saw Yami ride down the small steep hill.

Once he reached the bottom, he got off the horse and crossed the small bridge that lead to Rafael.

"Alright. I'm here. Now let's do this!" Yami said.

"Even though my comrades are satisfied stealing the souls of your friends, I'm not." Rafael said.

"I've held up my part of the bargain. Now let the Professor go!" Yami commanded.

"The Professor has already been set free a long time ago. But since you've come all the way here, you might as well stay a while." Rafael said.

Just then, Rafael flung off his cloak and lifted up a pair of axes.

He then, threw the axes past Yami and they hit the posts of the suspension bridge, cutting the ropes and causing the bridge to fall. Yami was trapped.

"We need no escapes from our duel. I need to capture the Pharaoh's soul myself, so I can save the world." Rafael said.

Yami looked skeptical. "Save the world? Don't you see what you're doing is destroying it?"

"You're blind, Pharaoh. This world is a dark and lonely place, poisoned by mankind. I'm just trying to fix what has been ruined…by people like you." Rafael said calmly. "And I'll do it by locking your soul away. My name is Rafael and I have called you here to duel."

The sun was starting to rise.

"You leave me no choice." Yami said and pulled out his duel disk and activated it. "But in the end, righteousness will prevail."

"That's what I'm hoping for." Rafael said as he also pulled out his duel disk and activated it.

Yugi appeared by Yami in spirit. "Be careful. Rafael doesn't seem to be an ordinary man." He said.

Yami nodded. "Yes…I know."

The duel started.

Back at the motor home, Professor Hawkins was sleeping soundly.

Kay looked at him tiredly. "He's got the right idea." She said quietly and yawned.

Anzu sat next to her.

Rebecca was busy doing research.

She had found a strange article about a cruise ship that sunk 12 years ago. And only one boy survived. He swam to an island and there, he did nothing but practice duel monsters. He spent three years alone.

He continued to practice duel monsters until he was rescued!

"His name was…Rafael! That's the guy Yugi's dueling right now!" Rebecca cried.

She jumped out of her seat to run to Death Valley, but Anzu caught her arm.  
"Relax Rebecca. Yugi can handle this all on his own. Don't worry about it." She said.

Rebecca looked down and Anzu let go of her arm.  
"Alright." Rebecca said.

"Pharaoh…you could never understand the connection I have with my deck." Rafael said.

"You're mistaken. I too share a bond with my deck." Yami said. "I trust and respect every card in my deck."

Rafael pulled out two cards and showed them to Yami.

They looked…so worn out.

"These cards…I've played them hundreds of times. And even though they're falling apart, I'll never replace them. I swore to protect them as they have me." He said. "The backs of the cards I've replaced so no one can recognize them when I put them face down. But twelve years ago, these cards saved my life. When I was a kid, I was fooled into thinking that the world was a happy place. Then I learned the truth. Nothing is fair and no one gets what they deserve."

"That's pretty sad." Yami said.

"Life is sad." Rafael said. "And the sooner you realize it, the better off you'll be. I used to have everything a kid could want when I was little. But then…it happened. It was my birthday and we were on a cruse ship. My little brother gave me a gift and it was my Guardian Eatos card. After my little sister said that they went through eighteen stores to find it, I felt a rumble. I ran to see what it was. My little brother and sister followed me. There was a large tidal wave coming right towards us and it was too late to do anything. Once it hit, my little brother and sister were swept away. That was the last time I saw my family.

The next thing I knew, I was washed up on the shore of an island. When I looked up, I saw the Guardian Eatos standing over me. But then she disappeared. I thought it was an illusion and I got up and started looking around for people. But then I realized I was the only one on the island. It all happened so suddenly, fate took everything away from me. I started to cry, wondering who would watch over me then. But I had two choices. Sit there and feel sorry for myself or toughen up and move on. If I wanted to survive, there was no time for weakness. That day I learned the world was a cold and lonely place. My childhood was taken away from me. And I had learned to trust the only family I had. My three Guardian cards.

I protected them as much as I could. There was even a time the wind swept them into the ocean and I dived in after them.

I protected them as they did me. We shared a powerful bond. Guardian Eatos, Guardian Grarl, and Guardian Kay'est. They saw me through the three hardest years of my life."

"If you truly respect your cards, then why are you using them for evil?" Yami asked.

"What you see is evil. I see it as saving the planet from falling apart in the hands of people like you and your friends." Rafael said. "It's my destiny. On that island, I've always asked, "why me?" I got my answer after three long years. I went up a hill one day and saw an island near mine rising with a city on it! I was overjoyed! I grabbed a raft I made not too long ago and rowed towards the island. I wondered how I could have missed such a thing? But before I got to the island…it sunk back into the sea. After that, a large wave hit my raft and I fell into the water and started to sink. Under me, was the city. Beams of light started to glow around me. Then I heard master Dartz's voice for the first time. He told me that we would soon meet again. After that I awoke back on my raft and a boat came to my rescue. I made the cover of newspaper and magazines! But it didn't matter to me. The day I returned to civilization, I visited my family's grave. But when I returned to civilization, they were anything but civilized. My island may have been lonely, but at least it was a peaceful place to live. No one walked on you there. Like my relatives did. They took my father's fortune and received fame from my reputation as the Miracle boy. How could I survive in such a world?"

"How can you blame mankind for what had happened to you?" Yami asked.

"Mankind is evil. But it wasn't always that way. The world was once perfect." Rafael answered.

"I stood on a pier, looking at my three guardian cards a while after I came back. And suddenly the same island with the city rose from the ocean again. I heard master's Dartz's voice again. He said that we were able to meet again. Then he asked me if I was ready to leave my old life behind. I nodded and a pathway of light formed as a bridge between the city and me. I started to walk down it. Master Dartz said that together, we could rebuild civilization as it once was."

"I don't know what lies you were told, Rafael. But no good can come from his plan." Yami said.

"You won't be around to see how the plan comes out." Rafael simply said.

Nearby, Rex and Weevil rode the bike they took tiredly. After a moment, they ended up accidentally falling down the small hill. After a short moment, they got up and watched the duel as it raged on.

"The match looks pretty even, so it looks like we didn't miss anything exciting." Weevil said.

"I want to move closer so I can see it better." Rex said.  
"We can't unless we jump." Weevil said.

Duke, Cat, Joey, and Honda continued their way to the duel.

Honda was looking at a map. "The maps wrong! There's no bridge!" He said just as they hit a bridge.

"You're starting to worry me, Honda." Cat said pointing to the bridge they're on.

They drove across rickety bridge, but on the way, slats started to fly in all directions.

"Hold on." Duke said as he managed his way across the bridge.

They finally made it to the other side safely. But the bridge collapsed behind them.

"Unlike you, Pharaoh, I care for my cards. You discard them as soon as a stronger one comes along." Rafael said.

"I value all my cards!" Yami said.

"You're as disrespectful as everyone else." Rafael said. "Everyone in the world has darkness in their heart. But you're too afraid to admit it. Deep down, you're evil. Ten thousand years ago, people lived in paradise. But then, the ancient stone appeared. The Stone of Orichalcos." Rafael held up his amulet. "The stone that unlocked the darkness in people's hearts. Only a few were pure. A battle broke out between good and evil. And in the end the evil side won."

"Whoever told you that lied! The only evil is the stone around your neck." Yami said.

Rafael laughed. "The stone only shows us the truth."

"You're wrong!" Yami insisted.

"Ah, but your memories were erased, correct? How do you know if you were an evil Pharaoh or not?" Rafael reminded him.

"It can't be." Yami said.

Weevil held a hand to his ear, trying to listen. "What are they murmuring about? I can't hear a thing!" He exclaimed.

"I don't know much about my past, but I do know that I apparently saved mankind." Yami pointed out.

"But they were evil. So you must be evil too." Rafael said. "Five thousand years before you ruled, the Orichalcos stone appeared, dividing the world into two sides: Pure of heart and those ruled by darkness. The two faced off in the most devastating battle the world has ever seen. And the battle between the two sides continues. You and I are here to continue the fight. And I shall make sure my side wins. My side may be outnumbered, but we have two things the others don't. The power of the Orichalcos and the Great Leviathan. We can capture the souls of men and offer them to the most powerful beast that ever lived. Then the world can return back to the way it was. A peaceful place with a worthy leader."

"You've been brainwashed!" Yami exclaimed.

"Look around you. If things go on as they are, soon the entire planet will be just like this desert. Pharaoh…you did come back after thousands of years to save the world…by surrendering your soul!" Rafael said.

"I'm sick of hearing your evil plan!" Yami snapped.

"It's not my plan. I'm carrying out the wishes of my master, who told me all about your history as the ruler of Egypt. You ruled as an evil dictator, controlling your subjects with the shadow realm." Rafael explained.

"Your master lied!" Yami cried.

"You have no memory of your days as the king of Egypt." Rafael reminded him.

"I must have been a worthy ruler…I locked the dark magic away." Yami said.

"Your heart is dark…and I'm going to prove it." Rafael said. He activated a card called, "Exchange."

Both of them only had one card, so they switched. Yami gave him a card that was useless to him at the time.

Rafael gives Yami his card and walked back to his spot, laughing.

Yami looked at the card and his face turned to shock.

It was the Seal of Orichalcos!

"I-I can't use this!" Yami exclaimed.

"The stone you took from us is already beginning to reveal your dark side." Rafael pointed at the stone of Orichalcos that Yami wore around his neck that they found on the first duelist they faced with that power.

Yami looked at the stone and noticed it was glowing! He gripped it in his fist.

"You don't have to activate the card if you don't want to…but I have a feeling you will. It's your move, Pharaoh." Rafael said.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit. "No matter what, we can't use that card. It's evil!" He said.

Yami nodded. "You're right." He said.

The duel continued.

Yami was now in a situation that Timaeus was trapped.

Rafael urged him to play the Seal of Orichalcos…it was the only way he could release his dragon.

After a while, Yami decided…he was going to play it. Hesitantly, he held the card up, as he was about to play it.

Yugi grabbed onto Yami's arm in spirit form.

"There must be another way! Don't play it!" Yugi cried. "The card is affecting your mind! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Let go!" Yami snapped. "We're going to lose the duel! It's the only way! Just trust me." He finally pulled his arm away from Yugi.

"No, please Pharaoh! Don't play it!" Yugi begged.

But Yami didn't listen…he played the card and screamed as the seal formed around him and the entire duel.

The seal caused Yugi's soul to dissolve.

"That card will reveal whether you're good or evil, Pharaoh." Rafael said.

Yami looked up and the seal glowed on his forehead. He had a look of anger on his face.

Not too far away, Duke, Cat, Joey and Honda could see the column of light from the seal not too far from where they were.

"T-that's the seal of Orichalcos!" Cat cried.

"We'd better hurry!" Joey exclaimed.

Yami had Timaeus and The Dark Magician Girl on the field. But once the seal was played, Timaeus disappeared.

"Rafael! What have you done to my dragon?!" Yami demanded.

"It's not what I've done. It's what you've done. The Seal of Orichalcos and that dragon don't mix. But your dark side has been set free." Rafael answered.

"What have I unleashed?" Yami asked himself as dark power swirled around him. He shouted out in anger and looked at Rafael with fury.  
"You were a FOOL to give me this card! Now once I defeat you, your soul will be gone for all eternity!" He snapped at Rafael.

Yugi woke up to find himself in a dark place. Alone.

Above him was the Seal of Orichalcos, sealing him away from Yami.

"How…could you, Pharaoh?" He asked sadly.

Duke, Cat, Joey and Honda finally arrived to the duel. They quickly jumped out of the car and ran to the edge of the hill.

"YUGI!" They all cried out to him.

Yami turned to look at them, but didn't say anything.

The four of them slid down the small hill to where the bridge had been cut down.

"Why is the seal on his forehead?" Joey wondered. "Doesn't it only appear if you were da one who played the Orichalcos card?"

Cat looked over at Yami. "Oh no…" She said softly. "How do you suppose he got a hold of it?"

The three boys shook their head, not knowing.

"Hey, you guys! You just missed the best part duel!" Rex said to them.

Joey frowned and picked up Weevil. "How did my best buddy get that freaky thing on his head?!" He demanded.

"Joey! Calm down, man!" Honda exclaimed and made Joey put Weevil down.

"Yugi got the Seal of Orichalcos card from the other guy and activated it." Rex explained.

"Yugi wouldn't do that!" Joey cried. "He knows that card is evil!"

Yami was surrounded by a swirl of purple dark power, with the seal on his head.

"Tell me Pharaoh…how does it feel to know that all this time you've been hiding your true self?" Rafael asked. "You get your power from the darkness like you always have."

Yami smirked. "Are you jealous because I now have the seal on my side of the field and that your soul is now on the line? Maybe you should have thought twice before handing me that card." He said.

"I'm not worried. I have complete trust in my monsters." Rafael answered.

The duel continued.

"If Yugi loses, I have dibs on the Dark Magician!" Weevil said.

"Weevil! Show some compassion for a change…and let me have the Dark Magician!" Rex said.

Joey glared at the two. "Watch it." He growled.

They watched the duel a while longer.

"I don't get it…that doesn't sound like da Yugi I know." Joey said.

Yami had been launching his monsters at Rafael with the Catapult turtle.

"You're about to lose the duel, Rafael. Once more attack from my Catapult turtle, and you're finished." Yami said. "I only have to destroy one card and it's done. And I choose the Dark Magician Girl!"

Yugi pounded on the seal helplessly. "Pharaoh! Don't do it! With the Seal of Orichalcos in play, the monsters on the field are REAL! Remember the promise you made to the Dark Magician Girl! Don't sacrifice her!" He begged Yami. But Yami didn't hear him.

The Dark Magician Girl looked at Yami.

"Well? Go on." Yami said to her.

Reluctantly, she climbed onto the Catapult turtle, where she was launched at Rafael.

At the last moment, Rafael activated a trap card called, "Shrink." It caused the Dark Magician Girl's attack points to go down by half. 1400 Attack points.

Rafael saved himself for one more turn.

But Yami reminded him that the swords of revealing light that Rafael had played against him earlier had worn off. All he had to do is sacrifice one more monster and Rafael's soul would be absorbed into the seal.

"It looks like Yugi's got this duel in the bag!" Duke said, smiling.

"Nice dueling!" Honda cheered.

But Joey and Cat weren't cheering.

Yugi was sacrificing his monsters left and right and talking about power. That wasn't like the Yugi they knew! He's been brainwashed by the seal.

Yugi wept behind the seal. "How could he do this?" He asked. "I warned him!"

Rafael laughed. "I know the seal would reveal the truth! This is you: wicked, greedy, and full of hate! The power of Orichalcos reveals all, just as I suspected. You are evil. You are trapped by your need to win." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Yami asked.

"Look around the field! Look at what you've done to your monsters! Once, they were pure…but now they're evil shadow creatures." Rafael pointed out.

Yami looked up to see the monsters he sacrificed. They had glowing red eyes and the seal on their foreheads…and angry expressions.

"Did…did I do this?" He asked himself and glared at Rafael. "You deceived me!" He yelled at him.

"You're the one who chose to play the Seal of Orichalcos. Even at the cost of losing Timaeus." Rafael pointed out. "Your lust for power destroyed a valuable monster."

Rafael then played Guardian Eatos.

With its effect, it's able to remove the monsters in Yami's graveyard and absorb their power.

All the monsters in his graveyard appeared on the field.

"You did this to your monsters. By selfishly sacrificing them and letting your rage take over." Rafael said. "Look into the eyes of your monsters."

Yami's monsters all glared down at him angrily.

"Please forgive me for what I have done to you! Please don't look at me like that!" Yami cried to them.

All of Yami's monsters then flew into Guardian Eatos's sword, letting it absorb their power.

Guardian Eatos's attack points were now 10,000.

Rafael attacked causing the rest of Yami's monsters to be destroyed…also taking the rest of his life points.

Everyone gasped as the seal shrunk around Yami.

Rafael walked up to Yami.

"You sealed your own fate when you played that card. Now your soul will awaken the great beast." He said.

"Not if I can help it!" Yugi said and pounded the seal that blocked the two off with his Millennium Puzzle, causing the seal to shatter. Yugi then jumped into the seal.

Cat watched from their spot and clenched her fists tightly. "I…I can't let this happen to him." She whispered to herself as she slowly backed up a little before dashing towards the gap and jumped.

"CAT!" Duke, Joey and Honda all yelled.  
"What are you doing?! Get back here!" Duke called.

"Stop!" Joey cried.

Cat almost didn't make it, but she caught the edge. Climbing up as fast as she could, she climbed over the edge of the cliff and ran into the seal.

Usually, the seal would block her off, but when she ran through, her cartouche glowed only for a moment…giving her access.

At the same time, Yugi and Cat pushed Yami out of the seal.

Yami turned around and looked at the two, shocked.

"What…What are you two DOING?!" He cried.

Yugi didn't notice Cat was there.

"The seal only needs to take one of us, right?" Yugi said.

"We can't afford to lose you Yami-kun…" Cat said. "This may be the only way I can help you. Please…stop Dartz from destroying the world! We all believe in you! Take care…"

And with that…the seal took both Yugi and Cat's soul!

Once the seal disappeared, Yami feel to his knees and collapsed.

"Yugi! Cat!" The three boys across the gap cried.

Rafael kneeled down and took the Seal of Orichalcos card from Yami's duel disk.

He looked down at Cat.  
"It looks like she tried to play hero…well it didn't work. Her soul will now only give the great beast more power." He said.

He kneeled down again and took the stone that Yami wore around his neck as well.

Behind Rafael, a helicopter, piloted by Amelda flew up, lowering a rope latter down to Rafael.

Rafael then picked Cat and Yami up and grabbed onto the rope latter.

As the helicopter flew by the gang, Rafael tossed Yami and Cat down to the three boys.

"Keep them. We now have everything we needed from them." Rafael said before flying away with the helicopter.

"Yug! Cat! Wake up!" Joey cried.

Yami slowly opened his eyes and began to struggle to his feet.

"Aha! I knew you could outsmart dat goon! How did you do it?" Joey asked.

Yami stayed silent.

"Hey…are you alright?" Honda asked.

"No…" Yami replied, tears spilling from his eyes. "It's far from alright!"  
He turned away. "I didn't outsmart Rafael…Yugi…and Cat are gone."

Back at the temple, Dartz grinned.  
"Great Leviathan! Accept my last offering!" He cried as on the temple wall, a carving of Cat and Yugi appeared on the wall.

"I don't get it." Joey said. "How could you be talking to us if your soul was taken?"

"Not mine…" Yami replied. "Yugi's! And they took Cat's soul too!"

He fell to his knees.

"Yugi! Cat! Come back! It should have been me! Not them!" He screamed and slammed his fists against the ground. "It's not fair!"


	39. Same Body, Different Soul

Meanwhile, Rex and Weevil were pedaling after the helicopter as fast as the bike could take them.

They were determined to get one of those Orichalcos cards!

"If we let Rafael get away, we'll be losers for life!" Weevil said.

Their bike headed towards a cliff…and they were ABOUT to fall off until they caught the end of the rope ladder, the bike fell down the cliff.

Rafael looked down. He didn't look thrilled to see his hitchhikers.

He pulled out a large knife from his boot and was about to cut of the end of the rope where Weevil and Rex hung.

"Wait!" Rex cried.

"Please make us your partners!" Weevil begged.

"What's going on?" Rafael asked.

"Don't judge me by my appearance, I'm the champion of Japan!" Rex lied.

"And I was the runner-up!" Weevil added in.

"If you can accept Mai Valentine as your partner, you can certainly accept us!" Rex finished.

"Please let us join you!" Weevil begged again.

After a moment of silence, Rafael sighed and put the knife back into his boot.

Rex and Weevil sighed with relief.

The helicopter flew off with the three.

Back at Professor Hawkins' motor home, Kay, Rebecca and Anzu sat outside of the motor home, waiting for everyone's return.

They perked up when they saw Duke's care and Yami ride up.

"Yugi!" Anzu said happily and walked up to greet them.

Rebecca smiled and ran up to Yami to hug him, but stopped when she saw the dark look on his face.

There was a small silence.

"Is everything okay?" Kay asked, walking up.

"Not really." Joey replied as he picked up Cat from the back seat. "We've got a problem."

"Yugi didn't win…he's gone." Honda explained.

"I don't believe it…if Yugi lost, then that creep would have taken his soul. How could he be standing right behind me if he…" Anzu stopped as she realized what they meant.

"And that's not all." Duke added in. "Cat's soul is gone too…"

"Yugi…talk to me." Rebecca pleaded.

Yami's head hung. "I'm sorry…Yugi's gone." He said. "They got him…and they got Cat as well. I played the Seal of Orichalcos card and lost the duel. Before it took my soul, Yugi and Cat pushed me out of the way. They were both on the seal and their souls were both taken. It's all my fault…I unleashed the magic that took them away."

Rebecca looked horrified.

"I…I can't believe you played that card! If you really WERE a great Pharaoh, you wouldn't have done such a thing!" Rebecca cried and pounded against his chest, weeping. "It should have been YOU! Not Yugi! Give him back!"

"Rebecca…" Anzu said calmly.

Rebecca ran to Anzu and cried against her. "Oh, Anzu!" She cried as Anzu tried to comfort her.

"Rebecca is right." Yami said. "I let everyone down. Especially Yugi and Cat. Yugi even warned me not to play the card. But I let my rage take control. And they both paid for my mistake."

Joey frowned and laid Cat against the car before walking up to Yami and punching him, causing Yami to fall to the ground.  
"Get a hold of yourself!" Joey snapped. "If we're going to rescue Yugi and Cat, we have to move ahead and not look back! Pull yourself together! What we have to do now is find out who Dartz is and where he keeps all his souls!"

"That's what I've been suggesting since day one! But nobody here listens to me." Duke said.

Honda put Duke in a headlock. "Stop thinking about yourself!" He snapped.

Yami got up. "Honda…let him go…This all happened because I couldn't control my anger. And if we keep fighting among ourselves, the Orichalcos will destroy us all." He said.

Suddenly…their conversation was cut short when they heard a soft sound from the car.

Honda and Duke blinked in confusion and looked down at Cat.

Cat was finally opening her eyes!

"AGH! It's a ZOMBIE!" Both Honda and Duke cried, clinging to each other before pausing and jumping away from each other in disgust.

"Well that was really rude!" Kay said to them.

"Hey, c'mon! We only presumed that because…her soul was taken away…wasn't it?" Honda said as his explanation was turned into a question.

Yami whipped his head to look at Cat and hurried over to her.  
"Cat! You're…you're still here?!" He cried.

Cat looked at Yami confused.  
"My…my name isn't Cat." She replied softly.

Yami moved back a little confused.

Her voice sounded a little different. Almost more womanly and soft.

"Neh? Yes it is…you're name is Cat! You didn't lose your memory, didja?" Joey asked.

Cat shook her head. "Of course not. But my name isn't Cat." She protested and sat up more and paused. "Wait…why can I see you all?"

"Cat, are you alright? You're acting weird." Kay said.

"Yeah, did the seal mess with your head?" Anzu asked.

Cat looked around and looked down at her hands in horror. They started to shake.

"Oh…oh no." She whispered.

"Cat?" Duke asked.

Cat quickly stood up. "N-No! I'm not Cat! Please listen! Cat's gone! The seal really DID take her soul!" She cried.

"Then how can you be talking to us?" Honda asked.

"It's me! I-I'm…I'm Luna!" Luna answered.

Everyone looked shocked.

"W-wait! But Luna's dead! How could you be here?!" Joey asked, shocked.

Luna sighed. "Like Yugi's Millennium Puzzle, my soul has been with Cat and the cartouche the whole time. It's my job to protect her. I guess when Cat lost her soul; mine was put in her body as a replacement. Until we can get her real soul back." She answered and looked at Yami, who was staring at her, shocked.

Luna smiled sadly and tears formed at the corner of her eyes.

"Oh Pharaoh…" She said. "I was afraid that I would never see you again; since the day you sacrificed yourself to save the world."

Luna walked up to him as the tears that formed in her eyes, ran down her cheeks and she talked so only Yami could hear what she was saying.  
"I know…you don't feel love for me anymore…and I know…you're in love with Cat. I want to help you save her, so you two can be together…but just know…that I've always loved you." She whispered and leaned forward, giving him a quick yet soft kiss on the lips.

Anzu frowned and clenched her fists tightly to keep herself from running over and slapping Luna.

Joey, Duke, Kay and Honda just blinked and stared.

Joey leaned over to Duke and whispered, "You don't think dat their gonna start makin' out now, do ya?" He asked.

"I have no idea." Duke whispered back.

Kay frowned and hit them in the head.

"Oh shut up!" She hissed. "You boys are so insensitive to this stuff!"

When Luna pulled back, Yami put his fingers to his mouth, partly covering it; looking at Luna, surprised.

After a moment, his eyes softened.  
"Luna…I'm…so sorry." He said quietly.

Luna smiled weakly. "It's all right." She replied. "All we need to do now…is save your partner…and my ancestor…Cat."

"You two are about to meet our master. So don't say anything stupid." Rafael said as they stood in front of double doors.

Rex and Weevil grinned weakly.

They opened them and walked in.

The room was a large conference room with a large table in the center and suits of armor along the walls. A large chair with it's back turned on Rafael, Rex and Weevil.

Rex and Weevil were chuckling to each other that they were about to become super villains.

"Mission accomplished, master. The strongest soul on earth has been captured." Rafael reported.

Dartz turned around in his seat, holding a glass of wine in his hand. "Unfortunately, we've failed again." He said.

Rafael looked confused.

Valon entered the room. "Rafael. The soul of the Pharaoh is still out there." He explained and pointed to a large screen at the end of the room.

The screen showed the carvings of the temple wall. All that was there was Yugi and Cat. Along with the other souls on the wall.

"A clear case of mistaken identity." Dartz said.

"Instead of getting the Pharaoh's soul, you captured the soul of some kid and that girl that we saw with the Pharaoh." Valon added in.

"The boy and the Pharaoh inhabit the same body." Dartz explained. "But you captured the wrong one, Rafael. And the girl…how did she get into the seal?"

Rafael kneeled down. "The girl must have been the one who prevented me from capturing the Pharaoh's soul. She somehow jumped into the seal and pushed the Pharaoh out." He explained.

"But there's good news that come with this." Valon added.

"Do tell." Dartz said; Valon's last comment caught his interest.

"Now that we have the girl's soul…it only gives the Pharaoh even more determination to come and save them. When we were watching the Pharaoh and his friends, he seemed to have showed a soft spot to that girl. I believe we can taunt the Pharaoh with her to give him motivation to come to us. Then we can take his soul." Valon explained.

Dartz smirked. "I like that idea. We can use the girl as bait." He said. "Even so…you still failed to capture the Pharaoh's soul, Rafael. You're lucky we have a backup now."

"I apologize, master Dartz. Please allow me to fix the problem." Rafael apologized.

Rex and Weevil run up and kneel before Dartz as well.

Dartz raised an eyebrow. "Who are these two?" He asked.

'They're a couple of wanna be duelists who claim to be Japan's champions. They followed us." Rafael explained.

"We're great duelists, but we came to become even better." Rex said.

"Yugi and his friends have been making fools of us for a long time! Before they showed up, everyone treated us with respect! Now we're nothing but jokes in the eyes of everyone! And we want revenge!" Weevil explained.

The two boys flung themselves to the ground.

"Please let us join you!" They both begged.

"It won't be easy." Dartz said. "Yugi and his friends hold the power of the Legendary Dragons, and you expect to win with those cards?"

"That's exactly why we need that Orichalcos card!" Rex and Weevil both said.

"Well…before that happens, I have to make sure you're worthy." Dartz said and handed them both each a blank card.

"Wha? These cards are blank!" Weevil protested.

Dartz pulled out two Orichalcos stone necklaces. "These are your tests." He said.

The crystals started to float in the air. "All you have to do is hold the crystals in your hands. If you are worthy, then the cards will activate. If not, then your souls will be given up to the Great Leviathan."

Rex and Weevil grew wide-eyed and clutched each other in fear.

"Hmph…you two are weak." Rafael said.

The two boys glared at Rafael and let go of each other, reaching out to the stones, hesitantly.

Blue light steamed from the stones and they grasped them. The seal of Orichalcos appeared on their blank cards.

"Congratulations and welcome to the family." Dartz said. "You two are now members of Doma."

Rafael took the two boys to a room that held every duel monster card created.

"Take some of these and start building new decks." He said.

"We've hit the mother load!" Rex cried happily.

"You may take any card except the Egyptian God Cards." Amelda said. He was there the whole time.

"What?! Why not?!" Weevil cried.

"If these cards aren't good enough for you, then you can duel using your old decks." Rafael said.

"N-nevermind! These cards are perfect!" Weevil said quickly.

"You're first mission is to bring me the souls of the Pharaoh and his friend, Joey. The Orichalcos is with you." Dartz said.

Rex and Weevil kneeled down, accepting their orders.

"So these guys want to rule the world. We've dealt with that before." Joey said.

"But it's different this time." Yami said.

"These guys aren't just talking about wiping all life out on earth…they're doing it." Honda said.

"Well we know how to defeat them, all we need to do is go straight to the source and destroy their weapon!" Joey said.

"Do you mean that weird monster zapper thing in the sky? The eye of the great beast?" Anzu asked.

"Unfortunately, it's after more than just monsters. It's using human souls to power itself up." Kay said after a lot of things were explained to her.

"Well, right now they got Yugi and Cat. I dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna take action!" Joey exclaimed.

"But we just can't fight it by ourselves." Kay pointed out.

"We need help." Anzu said.

"But those guys burned down grandpa's laboratory and destroyed all his research. Without evidence, no one will believe us." Rebecca added in.

"But we have proof. The ruins underwater." Anzu said.

Rebecca showed them her discovery on the laptop. "Look. The ruins are not longer there." She said.

Professor Hawkins walked in.

"Don't give up. I'll help you find the information you need." He said.

"Have you discovered anything more about those thugs?" Yami asked him.

"There is a good chance that those men are descendants of Atlantis, an ancient city that disappeared into the sea thousands of years ago without a trace." Professor Hawkins answered.

"If so, why would they want to destroy what's left of their ancestor's city?" Duke asked.

"They must be hiding something." Professor Hawkins said. "Those ruins revealed the history of Atlantis, and it's not a pleasant one. Thousands of years ago, Atlantis was home to the most advanced civilization the world had ever known. Everyone lived in peace, until one day, a dreadful creature was called forth from the depths of the earth by an evil king."

Yami looked shocked. He remembered when Rafael had called him an evil king who destroyed Egypt.

"The king drew his strength from a mysterious stone. And the stone drew it's strength from another world." Professor Hawkins continued.

"Is the stone that stone they wore around their necks?" Joey asked.

"I'm not sure. That's all I was able to translate." The Professor answered.

Joey looked enraged.

"These guys are trying ta cover up about their ancient mega-monster!" He snapped.

Duke nodded. "There was probably something on the ruins that told how to destroy that monster." He said.

"Even though the ruins are destroyed, there are copies of the inscriptions at a museum in Florida." Professor Hawkins added in. "That's where I was doing research."

"Then I guess we need to head over there and translate the rest." Kay said.

The Professor nodded.

Joey looked at Yami with determination. "Let's head to da sunshine state and find out da secret of defeating these guys and save Yugi and Cat!" He said with determination.

"I'm with ya, buddy!" Honda said.

"One problem though." Duke said. "How are we supposed to get there?"

Luna sat silently, fiddling with her cartouche and listening to everyone.

"Atlantis…" She whispered to herself. "Why does this all sound so familiar?"

Meanwhile…back at Kaiba Corp.

Kaiba was on the phone with an employee.

The employee told him that ever since the monsters started to appear, their stock had been plummeting and some unknown investor has bought up nearly half of their company.

"I think I know who it is." Kaiba said. "Trace those transactions immediately. I'm sure it'll all point to Pegasus."

He hung up.

"I'm not so sure it's Pegasus, Seto." Mokuba said. "Could it be Amelda? He'd probably blame this company too. Besides, Pegasus's soul was captured. It couldn't have been him."

"I don't know about all that Pegasus nonsense, but you have a good point about Amelda." Kaiba said.

Suddenly the phone rang. Mokuba picked it up. "It's Joey." He told his brother.

"Put it through." Kaiba said.

The first thing they saw was Joey's eyes…they were HUGE!

"Whoa! I'm surprised you actually took my call, Kaiba!" He said.

"It works better if you step away from the webcam, Joey." Mokuba said.

"Oh…right, I knew dat." Joey said as he moved away, revealing the whole gang clustered up.  
"We've found some clues on da biker punks, but we're not giving up on them dat easily." He said. "If you give us a lift to Florida, we'll fill you into some more details. And those JERKS! They defeated Yugi and took his soul!" Before Joey could say anything more, Honda grabbed his head.

"Wait…what do you mean Yugi lost his soul?" Mokuba asked.

Joey finally slapped Honda off of him.

"Er, it's nothing! Forget what I just said!" Joey said.

"It doesn't matter. Kaiba doesn't believe in all that magic stuff anyways." Honda said.

Kaiba looked grimly at Yami's image on the video. Yami looked depressed.

Kaiba then slammed his hand against the desk and jumped up from his seat in an outrage.

"You LOST?!" He snapped at Yami. "You handed your crown to some nobody?! Nobody deserves the title but me!"

"Hold on, Kaiba." Yami said, trying to explain his situation, but Kaiba wouldn't hear another word.

"You're a disgrace to the game, Yugi!" Kaiba snapped and slammed the phone down, hanging up.

"Seto…are you alright?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm fine." Kaiba replied. "Now I have more reason to hunt those thugs down and destroy them."


	40. Train Trap

Yami sighed.

"Now what?" He asked.

Kay, Joey and Honda looked rather annoyed at Kaiba.

"MAN! I can't believe dat GUY!" Joey ranted

"I know he can be cold at times, but THAT was just rude!" Kay growled.

"Next time I see him, he's gonna GET IT!" Honda said angrily.

"AH…nothin' we can do about it now…" Joey said. "I think Professor Hawkins should stay here while we catch da next flight."

"You're right…traveling isn't the best thing for Grandpa right now." Rebecca agreed.

"Duke, you don't mind stayin' here to watch over da Professor, do you?" Joey asked.

"Sure. I'll stay." Duke said.

"I'll book the flights and you guys can take the train station to the airport." Rebecca said. "I just hope you guys can save Yugi before it's too late."  
She left the room to book the flights.

Joey and Honda sweatdropped and looked at each other. "Yugi, Yugi, Yugi. That's all she talks about. It's almost as if she didn't even CARE about Cat." Joey said.

"Well…don't you recall their FIRST encounter with each other?" Honda asked.

"Oh yeah…" Joey said.

Luna remained in her corner and continued to sit quietly. "Indeed…let us hope that it's not too late to save Cat and Yugi and the other souls that have been taken. Because right now…I can sense nothing but evil coming from a distant unknown area." She whispered to herself.

Yami would glance at Luna once in a while. Noting how quiet and reserved she was.

He sighed and looked away, remembering what had happened to her when he died thousands of years ago.

The thought of the fact that he could be there for her, Cat and Yugi haunted his mind for a little while.

"I just seem to be letting everyone down…" He said to himself.

"I wonder how long the ride will be?" Anzu wondered out loud. "Duke, do you want to go instead of me?"

"Nope. I'll stick with Professor Hawkins and Rebecca in case those bikers come back." Duke said. "I'll catch up to you guys once the Professor gets better."

"Alright." Anzu said.

"That's good because the situation won't improve without the Professor." Honda said.

Yami recalled that Rebecca really wanted to come and help as well. But the Professor told her it was too dangerous and that the Pharaoh already had a lot to deal with and he didn't need to watch over her as well.

Rebecca started to cry and she ran back into the motor home.

Yami continued to stare down at the ground in misery. Anzu looked at him sadly and was about to try and say something to cheer him up, but Luna walked up to Yami and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Pharaoh…I understand you're feeling broken…but we must be strong. For everyone. For Cat and Yugi." She said to him softly.

Yami looked at Luna and gave a small smile. "Thank you for your words of encouragement." He said.

Anzu started to fume. "Ancient Spirit, Past Love, Royalty OR NOT…she has no right to hang around him all the time like that!" She growled quietly to herself through clenched teeth.

"You guys better get on the train, or you'll miss it." Duke warned.

"Right. See ya." Joey said as everyone grabbed their luggage and boarded the train.

Duke waved to them as the train started to leave and Joey and Honda waved back.

"All right! Time to hit the dining cart, old pal of mine!" Joey said to Honda.

"Yeah!" Honda agreed.

Yami said silently, still grieving.

Luna sat next to him. Knowing he probably wanted to be left alone for a little while.

It wasn't long until she twitched, sensing something. She stood up.

"Um, I'll be right back." She said, walking off.

Anzu sat on the other side of Yami, giving Luna small glares as she passed.

Once Luna was gone, she sighed and Joey and Honda returned to their seats with bottles of soda and bags of chips. They looked rather happy.

They were sitting across from Yami and Anzu.

Anzu looked at him with a troubled look.

"He's hardly said a word all day…I've got to get him to say something.F" She thought to herself.

Thinking for a moment, she faked a sneeze to try and get his attention. It didn't work.

She thought some more.

"The view is really nice. Take a look, Yugi." Anzu said cheerfully.

Still no response.

She thought some more.

"I hear Florida's beaches are beautiful! It'll be fun to check one out if we have some time. But darn, I forgot my bathing suit!" Anzu continued.

Still nothing.

She thought again.

"Hey, Yugi. Are you hungry? We could go get something from the dining cart if you want." She said.

There was still no response.

"He must really miss Yugi. It must be like a part of him missing. The fun carefree side of him. Thinking back at all the fun times I had with Yugi…I'm really starting to miss him too Hmph and he obviously misses Cat. How irritating." Anzu thought to herself. 

"Yugi…you have to cheer up. I promise we'll get Yugi and Cat back. But in the mean time, you can't just sit around moping." Anzu said to Yami.

Yami finally stood up. "Sorry." He said and walked off.

"I think he needs to be alone for a while. Nothing you can say will cheer him up right now, Anzu. Yugi's loss is too much for him right now." Honda said.

"He is alone. That's the problem. But he'll be alright soon, because we're gonna save Yugi and Cat!" Joey said.

"Yeah." Anzu said.

Yami stood by himself in between train carts. He looked out the window.

"How could I be so selfish? I gave into the darkness in my heart and Cat and Yugi paid the price. I've lost something more important than my life." He said to himself before punching the train wall and sinking down to the floor.

"They're gone…forever…and it's my fault." He moaned to himself.

"Yugi's been gone for a long time." Anzu pointed out and frowned a little. "And so has Luna."

"Yea…but they're not the only ones. This car is empty except for us!" Joey added in.

"What?! That's not right. There were others here not too long ago!" Anzu cried, a little freaked out.

Kay walked up to them. She was on the train but went around to explore when after the train took off.

"Guys! There's no one else around! I could have sworn there were more people!" She said worriedly.

Back in his temple, Dartz laughed. "A vacant train is the least of their worries." He chuckled.

The four ran to up the stairs to the upper level of the train to find nobody else!  
"Whoa! There's not a soul here!" Joey said.

"Do you HAVE to say the word, soul?!" Honda asked.

They continued to look around but ran into Yami.

"There's something strange going on!" Joey reported.

"This whole train ride must have been another trap!" Honda suggested.

"I'll bet those slime balls are behind all this!" Joey growled.

Yami frowned and ran off to find them.

He crossed to the next car, but before Kay, Joey, Honda and Anzu could get there, the two cars disconnected!

Yami reached out and Anzu jumped over to join him.

But it was too late for any of the others to join.

"GO GET HELP!" Yami called to them.

As Joey, Honda and Kay's train slowed to a stop, they jumped out.  
"Well this is nice! We're in the middle of nowhere! And we dunno where the train that Yugi and Anzu were on is gonna stop!" Joey said.

"I guess it's just us three now." Honda said.

"Wait a minute guys." Kay said. "What happened to Luna?"

Joey and Honda looked at her. "That's right! She was gone before me and Honda came back." Joey said.

Before anything else was said, they heard an evil chuckle behind them.

They all turned around to find Rex.

He had a strange look in his eyes and he wore a dark duel disk.

"I have a score to settle with you, Joey! You took my Red Eyes Black Dragon!" He said.

Joey frowned at Rex.

"This isn't the time!" He said.

"Oh but this is the time! The prefect time for revenge!" Rex said.

Yami and Anzu looked around for other passengers.

But instead of finding any, Anzu found an intercom. She picked it up and tried to call the conductor, asking him to stop the train. But there was no response. He wasn't there.

They continued on until they found the engine.

"I'll climb up there. There might be a hatch on the roof so I can get in and try to stop the train." Yami said.

"Pharaoh!" A voice cried.

Yami and Anzu turned around to find Luna running up to them.

"Luna! Where were you?!" Yami asked, surprised to see her.

Luna stopped to catch her breath. "I was on this car! Earlier, I sensed something and came to check it out. But be careful! I feel evil radiating from here!" She answered.

Yami nodded and started to climb the ladder.

Anzu frowned a little at Luna.

Yami tried to climb across the roof of the engine, but it was hard because of how powerful the wind was.

But when Yami looked up, he found Weevil standing there. Grinning.

"I came to have a rematch with the King of Games!" He announced.

Yami frowned and struggled to his feet.

"Who put you put to this?" Yami asked.

"No one did! I just want to try out my new secret weapon!" Weevil said, pulling out a glowing Orichalcos stone necklace from his pocket.

Rex had shown Joey, Kay and Honda the same thing.

"Where did you get dat?!" Joey asked.

"I knew it! He's working for them!" Honda said.

"Weevil, you've been brainwashed!" Yami said.

Anzu was partway up the ladder. "Those guys are just using you!" She cried and climbed onto the car, struggling to stay standing.

"I don't care! Just so long as I have ultimate power!" Weevil replied.

Luna also made her way onto the car and stood on the car.

"Don't you realize what'll happen?! If you go through the duel, one of you has to lose their soul!" Anzu cried. "I won't let you guys duel like this!"

Weevil grinned. "You look terrible. Tender girls are cuter, you know." He said to Anzu.

Anzu glared at him. "What are you talking about?!" She snapped.

"Tender girls like the one standing behind you…Luna, I believe her name is." Weevil said.

Luna blinked in shock, surprised that he knew who she was.

Weevil chuckled evilly. "Anyways, of course I know what'll happen. I'm here to take the soul of the nameless Pharaoh! Soon he'll be locked away with his friend, Yugi!" He said.

Yami looked surprised.

"I heard you have to characters, Pharaoh." Weevil said.

Yami glared fiercely at him. "Where is Cat and Yugi?!" He yelled.

"If you want to know, you'll have to beat me in a duel." Weevil sneered.

"Fine! I accept your challenge!" Yami said, activating his duel disk.

Rex activated his duel disk. "I'm going to enjoy this." He grinned.

"What did you do with our friends?!" Joey demanded.

"I didn't do anything." Rex replied. "Weevil is taking care of the other three. While I deal with you."

"Rex, you've picked the wrong side to be on!" Joey warned him.

"I've been given more power than you have ever dreamed of!" Rex said.

"I could duel circles around you! Now get out of the way!" Joey snapped.

"I'm not going anywhere until we duel!" Rex said.

"Fine! I'll trample this geek and we can go find Yugi, Luna and Anzu!" Joey said, activating his duel disk.

Rex pulled out the Seal of Orichalcos card out.

"Hey! Drop that card! It's evil!" Joey warned him. "You have no idea what you're doin'!"

But Rex ignored him and slapped the card onto his duel disk, causing the seal to form around the two, throw Kay and Honda out of its boundary.

Rex's eyes started to glow red and the seal appeared on his forehead. "Now this is what I call power!" He said.

Honda and Kay got up.

"Now whoever loses, will lose their soul!" Honda said.

"I really didn't need the reminder!" Joey called back and turned back to Rex. "I refuse to duel under these circumstances!"

Rex grinned.

"You have no choice now." He simply said.


	41. The Duels Begin

"I've improved since our last duel, Pharaoh. Don't expect to beat me so easily as you did before." Weevil snickered.

"Luna, Anzu, get back in the train. It's too dangerous up here…and there's no telling what Weevil will do." Yami warned the girls.

"B-but Yugi! You can't duel!" Anzu cried.

"She's right, Pharaoh! You can't duel calmly right now! You need to be calm before you duel another duel such as this!" Luna called out.

"Stay out of this you two!" Yami snapped.

Weevil held up the Seal of Orichalcos card and laughed. "Remember this? This is the card you used to lock your precious Yugi and Cat away." He taunted.

Yami glared fiercely at him as he placed it into his duel disk, causing the seal to form around the two.

The Seal knocked Luna and Anzu off the engine. Yami cried out to them in horror as he watched them fly through the air. But luckily, they landed on the car behind. They slid a little until Anzu caught the roof's seam and caught Luna, pulling her up to the seam.

"We're alright!" She called.

"Don't worry about us right now! You have bigger things to worry about!" Luna called also.

Yami turned back to Weevil who laughed evilly as his eyes started to glow red and the seal formed on his forehead.

* * *

Dartz kneeled before the altar of the temple. Fire reflected in his eyes.

"The battles are underway." Dartz said.

Rafael came up from behind Dartz. "If all goes well, the soul of the Pharaoh will soon be ours. But whatever the outcome may be, we'll still receive two souls." He said.

* * *

The duel had just began and Yami had already made a mistake.  
Weevil laughed at him.

"You're only half the duelist you were, Pharaoh. Is it because you lost your other half?" He taunted. "I'll make you suffer little by little!"

* * *

"Are you going to duel or just stand there stupidly while I take you apart?" Rex asked Joey.

Joey sighed. "I don't like it…but I got no choice." He said. "This isn't gonna be a duel for beating you, Rex! It's gonna be a duel for savin' ya!"

"As much as I hate that little runt, Joey can't let the Orichalcos take him. But he also can let the seal take him, himself either." Honda said.

"No one deserves that." Kay added in.

As the duel began, Rex, with the power of the seal, was able to draw really powerful cards.

Joey chuckled.

"You only had a lucky draw on your opening hand! You can't win a duel on just luck, ya know!" He said.

"You only beat me last time because you got lucky!" Rex pointed out.

"What?! You brat!" Joey snapped angrily.

"You know…Rex is right about that." Honda said.

Joey turned around and glared at him. "WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!" He yelled at his friend.

Kay looked at Honda. "Seriously? Just luck?" She asked.

Honda nodded. "Yup! That's how it's always been." He answered.

"Oh…well let's hope lady luck is with him now." Kay said.

"DON'T BELIEVE HIM!" Joey snapped at her and turned back to his duel.

"Uh-oh. Looks like we got him fired up." Kay giggled.

"Nah, don't worry about it. He's always like this." Honda said so Joey couldn't hear as he made his move.

* * *

Weevil had already pulled one of his biggest tricks on Yami.

He had his Parasite Caterpillar infect Yami's Celtic Guardian, turning it into an insect. And Weevil played Insect Barrier, so the infected Celtic Guardian couldn't attack.

"Weevil is a much stronger duelist than I remember. Especially now that he's been infused with the power of the Orichalcos. But I refuse to let him stand in the way of rescuing Yugi and Cat!" Yami said to himself silently, thinking out loud.

Yami drew and Dartz laughed.  
"The soul of the Pharaoh is nearly in my grasp!" He laughed and looked at his captured souls wall, looking at the image of Yugi and then to Cat.

"After all…I have the perfect bait." He smirked.

The train continued to speed down the tracks and things were looking bad for Yami.

"You beat this guy before, you can do it again!" Anzu called to Yami.

"Weevil is stronger now." Yami replied.

"That doesn't mean you can't still beat him! You just need to calm yourself!" Luna called to him.

"I know…" Yami replied.

* * *

Things weren't looking great for Joey either.

"Dude! This runt is kicking your butt!" Honda called to Joey.

Joey fumed. "Shut UP Honda! The duel just began! I can turn things around!" He snapped.

Kay sighed. "Let's hope he can." She said. "Man, if I was dueling that kid, his dino's would be extinct already! They would kneel before my dragons!"

Honda looked at Kay. "So…are you a powerful duelist?" He asked.

"Well…if tying against Kaiba is considered strong, then I guess so!" Kay smiled.

Honda's eyes grew.

"You TIED against KAIBA?!" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah…did I need to repeat myself or what?" Kay said and paused. "Hm...that's right. You guys never saw me duel in Battle City."

They turned their attention back to the duel and Joey had just lost his last monster on the field.

"That was your LAST MONSTER! What are you THINKING, MAN?!" Honda cried to Joey.

Joey frowned and Honda.

"You're cheerleading skills need work!" He advised him.

Rex sent one of his monsters to attack. If the attack succeeded, Joey would lose!

But just in time, Joey activated Scapegoat, which placed four sheep tokens on the field, protecting his life points.

Rex growled. "I've always hated those hairballs."

Joey laughed. "We've always hated you too!"

Honda sighed with relief. "I thought you were a goner! Warn us next time when you're gonna save yourself!" He called.

Kay sweatdropped. "Honda, that's a stupid thing to say. The adrenaline rush is half the fun!" She laughed.

"What?" Honda asked. "The heart attack is half the fun?"

Kay sighed. "Nevermind."

* * *

The two ducked, avoiding an overpass.

"I'm disappointed that you don't recognize a good strategy. It must be true what I've heard. Without Yugi and Cat's help, you're nothing but a second-rate wannabe. And as soon as I win, you'll be locked away forever with your little girlfriend and your better half! You lost those two out of stupidity!" Weevil said to Yami.

"Have you no shame?! Only a fool would say such things!" Luna snapped at Weevil angrily.

"You don't stand a chance against Yugi, you cockroach!" Anzu snapped at Weevil.

"Why thank you for the complement! The roach is one of the strongest insects alive!" Weevil smiled.

"If you're so tough, then why don't you show us what you got and stop talking about it!" Anzu snapped again. "Don't you have any pride?!"

"You two shouldn't be proud just because you're cute. People will hate you two if you keep talking like that." Weevil snickered.

Luna and Anzu glared at Weevil.

* * *

"My prehistoric pets are going to walk all over you Joey!" Rex cried to Joey.

"Oh yeah? Well I got more talent in my left nostril then you will EVER have!" Joey called back.

"The Seal of Orichalcos is on my side! So I've got more power then you and your nostrils!" Rex replied.

"I didn't quite get that comeback…" Joey said as he played a few cards.

"Joey has powerful nostrils?" Kay asked, looking rather confused.

"Well…he does exercise them a lot by sniffing food." Honda added in.

"That makes sense…I guess." Kay said.

"Rex! Is this duel really worth that much to ya? You're risking your own soul just for a chance to defeat me!" Joey asked Rex.

"I know what I'm doing! I'm earning the respect I deserve! Ever since you knocked me out of the Duelist Kingdom tournament, I've been mocked, ridiculed and humiliated! But it all ends here! I'm tired of being a loser!" Rex explained.

"He's talking just like Mai did. That must mean Dartz preys on people's weaknesses by promising them power!" Joey said to himself, then called out to Rex. "Hold on!"

"Shut up!" Rex snapped as he started his move.

* * *

"My insect army is slowly infesting the playing field. In a few more turns, you'll be bug bait, Pharaoh!" Weevil sneered.

"We'll see." Yami said.

"Guys like you, Weevil, never win!" Anzu called.

"Oh? And what is a person like me?" Weevil asked.

"You're a greedy power-hungry worm!" Yami snapped.

"But what does that make you, Pharaoh? Wasn't it you who wanted power so much that you sold out two people you truly cared about for a taste of it? You were determined to win at all costs in your last duel. You even activated the Seal of Orichalcos, even though you knew it may endanger the soul of the people close to your. Even yourself. THAT'S what I call power-hungry and greedy, Pharaoh." Weevil said. "But now the Seal of Orichalcos and its power belong to me."

"If you think you can win by playing your little head games, you're very mistaken!" Yami said roughly.

"I'm just opening you up to the truth. And whether you realize it or not, it's causing you to doubt yourself." Weevil pointed. "Look at your hands! They're even shaking!"

Yami looked down at his hand and realized it was shaking! He grabbed onto it.

Weevil laughed.

"I'd be shaking in fear too, if I were the one who was about to lose my soul!" He said. "I must win today. I've waited for this moment for a long time."

* * *

"You're an endangered species now that the Red-Eyes Black Dragon is here!" Joey said with a smirk. He had just recently played the card onto the field.

"You have some nerve using that card against me! That dragon was my best card until you took it away from me!" Rex snapped.

"I won the card fair and square!" Joey reminded him.

Rex looked down at his hand. "You ruined my life. I used to be a Regional Duel Monsters champion. At one time, Weevil and me were the most famous duelists in the country. We couldn't walk a block without being recognized." He said and bowed his head. "Unfortunately, my fame didn't last. I became a joke. How could I lose to you? I was supposed to win the most prestigious dueling tournament ever thrown, but I was defeated by a rookie! I went as a champion but came back as the laughing stock of the entire dueling world! People would glare at me and Weevil, saying that they couldn't believe that we were even showing our faces in public! Some fans. The second me and Weevil lost, they all disappeared. It was the lowest point of my life. Since then, it's been one bad day after another! And I owe it all to you, Jonouchi Katsuya!"

"Are you finished? I'm sick of your sob story. How could it be my fault that everything's been going badly for you? There's always one winner in a duel! And the other player is the loser. Everyone struggles to be a winner! So you think that you're a tragic hero?" Joey snapped. "Get a life!"

"That's the point! I don't have a life anymore! You took it away from me, and now I want it back!" Rex snapped.

"You're dueling for the wrong reasons! To me, the game is all about striving to be your best! I was taught to trust myself and too keep trying. No matter how tough things get. And things have gotten pretty tough. But I never gave up! No matter what." Joey said. "You can't handle the fact that Duel Monsters isn't all about fame and fortune?"

Rex looked back up and smiled cruelly. "You're even more lame than I remember. I realized a long time ago that being Mr. Nice Guy gets you nowhere. That's why I decided to team up with Dartz and his gang. They gave me something I could never get by playing fair. The power to get back everything you took from me!" He cried.

"You'll never learn, will ya?" Joey guessed.


	42. Rage

Weevil laughed.

"Does it feel like your life is spinning out of control?" He asked.

"That's enough!" Yami said.

* * *

Dartz knelt before the altar of the temple. "Great Leviathan. Soon the soul of the Pharaoh will be yours." He said.

* * *

"You're about to pay the ultimate price. And I will be the new King of Games!" Weevil giggled.

"Please don't lose, Pharaoh…If you disappear too…" Luna whispered.

Weevil looked at the girls and grinned. "Just sit back and watch your Pharaoh lose, "Anzu-chan", "Luna-chan.""

Anzu glared at Weevil and growled. "Don't call us that you freak!" She snapped.

Weevil turned back to Yami. "You can't win. But I'm willing to do you a favor before you lose. I have a card in my pocket that I think you would like to see. It's the least I can do to repay you for ruining my life." He said. "Yugi and Cat's spirit are trapped in the caverns of Dartz's lair. And I know how to set them free."

"Tell me how to save them, now!" Yami demanded.

Weevil laughed. "In order to save their souls, you'll need a special card. And I've got it right here." He said pulling a regular insect card, keeping it's face hidden from Yami.

"Give me the card!" Yami demanded.

"Well that's not a very nice way to ask." Weevil said.

Yami started to walk towards Weevil.

Weevil giggled evilly. "I'll teach you a lesson, Pharaoh." He said and ripped the card in half. "Yugi and Cat are now gone forever."

Yami cried out and glared at Weevil fiercely. "You SNAKE!" He roared.

Weevil laughed. "It was just a joke! I tore up a useless bug card." He said.

"That's not funny!" Anzu snapped.

Yami returned to his side of the field. "You'll pay for that." He growled.

Weevil blinked, a little freaked out by Yami's anger.

"Still, there's nothing you can do, Pharaoh." Weevil said.

"I doubt that." Yami said.

They two dueled some more and it looked like Yami was just about to lose!  
"It was a nice try, but now your turn will end and Poison Butterfly will take the rest of your life points!" Weevil cried happily and danced wildly, jumping and clicked his heels together. "I win!"

But Yami suddenly turned the tables.  
He played a magic card that allowed him to attack Weevil as long as he kept drawing monster cards.

With the help of the magic card, Weevil's life points reached zero…but Yami didn't stop. He kept attacking again and again!

Weevil fell to his knees from the repeated attacks. The Seal of Orichalcos started to shrink around him.

But Yami kept on going.

"Yugi! Stop!" Anzu cried.

Luna ran over and grabbed Yami's hand.

"Let me go!" Yami ordered.

Luna shook her head with tears in her eyes. "You can stop now! It's over…you've won and the Seal of Orichalcos is gone." She said.

Yami breathed heavily from his rage and saw Weevil kneeling on the other side of the field. And finally Yami's rage subsided.

He looked down at the card in his hand, seeing the Dark Magician Girl.  
"I've got a promise to keep." He said quietly.

* * *

Two more souls appeared on Dartz's wall. Rex and Weevil.

"So many souls…so little time. And the Great Leviathan is growing impatient." He said. "And I must provide him with the power he needs to awaken. And for that, I need the soul of the Pharaoh."

* * *

Yami ran up to Weevil.

"Where's Yugi and Cat?!" He snapped and shook Weevil.

No response.

Yami glared at him and picked him up by the shirt and held him up in the air.

"Where ARE THEY?! Tell me! NOW!" Yami yelled.

"It's no use." Anzu said.

"You won, Pharaoh…so the Seal of Orichalcos took Weevil away." Luna said.

Yami let him go and fell to his knees, staring at his empty hands.

Suddenly, the train started to speed out of control!  
It wasn't long before it detailed and flew off a cliff.

* * *

Dartz watched the screen in a room, watching the train fall.

"I need the Pharaoh alive." He mummered as he listened to Yami, Luna and Anzu's screams as they fell.

* * *

At the top of the cliff, an old man in robes looked down at where they fell.

At the bottom of the cliff, the train that Yami, Luna and Anzu were on, laid wreaked in a river.

* * *

"I've lost contact with the Pharaoh." Dartz complained.

"Perhaps he didn't survive the fall." Rafael suggested.

"No, he did. Someone or something is hiding the Pharaoh from my vision." Dartz replied.

"Allow me to track the Pharaoh down, and make up for my failure." Rafael said.


	43. One More Time

A shining place… Yami's eyes were closed. "Where…where am I?" He thought to himself as he slowly opened his eyes.

When he fully opened his eyes, he saw the morning sky, and trees. He sat up, looking around.

"Domino Park?" He asked himself. "But…I was in America…and the train wreak?" He stopped to think. "The park seems to be completely empty." He noted to himself.

"So why am I here? How did I get here?" After pausing to think a little moment more, he snapped out of his thoughts when he heard soft humming not to far away. Standing up, he looked around, trying to find the direction of the humming. The noise led him to the spring that was in the middle of the Domino Park forest. As he walked up to the clearing, he was suddenly greeting with blinding light. He covered his eyes. Once they adjusted, it was only the sun rising over the trees. But he wasn't alone…there was a figure standing on the shores of the spring. Yami squinted to see whom it was…it looked like…

"Eh?" The person asked, turning around. "Oh! Yami-kun! How are you?" Cat! Yami stared at her in shock. Cat giggled slightly. "Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost! Although…I guess it's partly true." She said.

Yami blinked. "What?" He asked. Cat took a few steps toward him.

"Right now…you're dreaming. None of this is real. Even though my soul is trapped within Dartz's temple, I'm only able to communicate with you once. And only through your dreams." She explained.

"For how long?" Yami asked. "Only until you wake up." Cat replied. "And that could be anytime."

"I see." Yami said almost sadly. Cat smiled and walked up to him.

"Hey…don't look so depressed. You haven't lost yet." She said softly.

"In a way, I did. I lost you and Yugi. I'm afraid I'll lose someone else. When your soul was taken, Luna took over. So Luna's using your body…I just hope her soul doesn't get taken either." Yami said.

"Don't worry. Everyone knows so much more about the Seal of Orichalcos, there may be a less chance of someone losing their soul." Cat said, hoping to give him a little more courage.

"That's true…but I'm having a hard time forgiving myself." Yami said, holding his head in one of his hands. "I can't believe I was such a fool! Yugi tried to warn me, but I played that Seal card anyways! It costed not only him, but you too! I let rage over come me."

Cat sighed. "Don't beat yourself up about it. You're forgiven for playing the card. But I did this to myself. And I guess me and Yugi were thinking the same thing." She said.

"Like what?" Yami asked. "Well…we both knew that if the seal stole your soul, there probably wouldn't be much hope for the world. So…I jumped in, pushing you out…and Yugi did the same thing. I didn't know he would be there though…and I'm sure that he didn't know I was gonna be there either. Besides…Dartz needs your soul to awaken the great beast…so we can't let his hands get on your soul at all costs." Cat explained.

Yami looked a little depressed again. "I…don't care what happens to me. But I want you to be happy and I want you to save the world…like only you can." Cat said. Yami looked back at Cat and she smiled at him.

"Cat…I'm…I'm so sorry for what I did to you and Yugi." He said. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Cat put a finger to his lips.

"Ah-ah! I forgive you. It doesn't bother me. And it never did. Please…try to cheer up. I won't allow for sadness." Cat said, pulling her finger away. Yami smiled softly.

"Thank you…" He said. "You're welcome. And my guess is that you may be waking up soon. So…it was great seeing you again. And go out there and save the world! Alright?" Cat said determined. "I would duel along side you and everyone, but I can't. So please accept my words of encouragement for now." She smiled and turned to walk away.

"Ah…Cat! Wait." Yami said. Cat stopped and turned around.

"Yes, Yami-kun?" She asked.

"When…I found you here…I heard you humming…may I…hear you sing…one more time?" Yami asked. Cat blinked for a moment and then smiled, sitting down on a chair that appeared out of nowhere. This WAS a dream after all. Anything could happen! Yami walked up to her and stood in front of her. Cat thought for a moment, to see what she could sing to him that maybe could have given him some encouragement. She smiled when she got a song and closed her eyes, signaling that she was going to start.

"_Back in that time, there was so much to lose that I couldn't sing anything...A place just a little ways away-That was where I was._"

She sang. After she sang that verse, Yami suddenly jerked and fell to his knees and he laid in her lap. He looked like he was sleeping. He couldn't move, but he could still hear. What was going on? Cat smiled and continued singing.

"_That day, deep in your eyes, I saw the loneliness Are the two of us really alike? If I'd realized it, you were always by my side Why do I love you so much? Your voice rings inside me so much it makes me sad Just what was it that supported me so much? From afar, I realize it now…_"

A tear rolled down from one of Yami's closed eyes and everything started to slowly fade into white. Cat smiled and placed her hands on his.

"Do your best." She said softly as everything finally…disappeared.

* * *

Yami's eyes popped open and he quickly sat up. "Cat?" He asked. No response. He looked around. "Am I in a teepee?" He asked himself. Blinking, he felt one of his eyes to be a little wet. Rubbing it, he looked back at his hand. "It really was just a dream." He whispered. "But…how did I get HERE?" Looking to the side, he spotted Luna sleeping in a bed next to him. He looked to the other side to see Anzu also sleeping in a bed next to him. Carefully, he woke them both up. They sat up.

"What? Where are we?" Luna asked. Anzu opened her mouth to say something, but suddenly, a wolf jumped on top of her! Luna and Yami became alarmed but suddenly calmed down when they see that the wolf is licking her face like a pet dog. Anzu laughed.

The wolf then jumped onto Yami, giving him a face licking as well, but he wasn't laughing. The wolf then jumped on Luna and did the same thing. Luna laughed a little.

"What a kind creature." She laughed. Suddenly, they heard a small girl's voice, calling to the wolf.

"Sky! Stop it!" The wolf, whose name is Sky, jumped off of Luna. A small girl in native clothes walked up to the entrance of the teepee.

"I'm sorry that Sky woke you three up." She apologized. "My name is Chris. And the wolf here, Sky, is the one who found you three. It's fortunate that you're all right after falling to the ground from such a height."

By a nearby river, an old man is picking up Yami's Duel Monster cards. He picked up another one and looked at it. His face turned to surprise when he saw it was Timaeus! But never the less, he continued to collect the cards and soon, was joined by Yami, Luna, Anzu and Chris. The old man finished collecting Yami's cards and stood up, turning to the four.

"Thank you for your help." Yami said.

"You're welcome. My name is Ironheart. I believe these are yours." The old man said, handing Yami his deck back. "I see you have the legendary Eye of Timaeus. Where did you get that card?" Yami handed Timaeus to Ironheart.

"I'm not worthy of its power." He said.

"I'll hold onto it until you're ready." Ironheart said.

"Um, Ironheart…did you by any chance find another kid? One with glasses and a bad haircut? He was on the train with us when it crashed." Anzu asked. Ironheart shook his head.

"No…you three were the only ones we found. The boy probably escaped before the train crashed." He said.

"I doubt Weevil would have been able to escape in the condition he was in." Yami said. "There's probably a greater power at work." Ironheart looked impressed.

"I've encountered many people in my travels, but there's something about you, boy, that I've never seen before." He said. "I also sense you have a great deal of loneliness in your heart." Yami's face looked a little depressed.

"I recently lost two very good friends of mine…and now I'm on a journey to find their souls." He said.

"What will you do when you find them?" Ironheart asked.

"Well…I was already able to talk to one of them already…but the other one…I would apologize for betraying his trust and abandoning him." Yami replied. Luna and Anzu looked at Yami, confused at what he meant by, "he was already able to talk to one of them already."

"I think I might be able to help. Follow me." Ironheart said and started to walk in a direction, Yami, Luna, Anzu and Chris following him. They took a narrow and dangerous trail along the mountainside.

"I'm leading you to a place on the other side, where spirits dwell. The Stone Wilderness. My people believe that human souls exist all around us. And just beyond this mountain is a sacred valley where drifting souls are said to gather as they wander. Your friend might be there. But evil spirits are there too. Finding the soul you seek is easy. Leaving with your own is another thing. It's not too late to turn back." Ironheart explained.

"I must go. I owe it to Yugi." Yami said.

* * *

Back at the train wreckage, Rafael descended the cliff to it. "PHARAOH!" He called. Absolute silence, except for his echo. "How did he escape? Urg, I'll find him. Wherever he is." Rafael said to himself.


	44. Reunited Friends

"_He hasn't said much of anything since he dueled Yugi…I wonder if he's still depressed? Or just thinking?_"

Luna looked at Yami with a worried look.

They had just come back from two major duels. Yami had found Yugi and Yugi dueled him and talked to him a little before he disappeared again. Yami wept afterwards.

But it was all cut short when Yami then had to duel the Orichalcos solder. Yami won the duel.

But in the process, Chris, Sky and Ironheart all disappeared after getting hit by lightening. Christ gave Yami Timaeus back before she got hit by lightening too and disappeared.

Luna and Anzu made a small memorial for them afterwards.

Now they were just trying to find Joey, Honda and Kay.

* * *

"You know what t-they say, Kay! Ladies first!" Honda said, carrying a soulless Rex on his back.

"No way, you jerk! You or Joey go first!" Kay snapped, slapping Honda in the back of the head.

"Ow! Fine! Joey, you go!" Honda cried.

"Not on your life, bud!" Joey said, carrying a soulless Weevil on his back. They found Weevil while they were following train tracks, hoping to find Yami, Luna and Anzu.

"C'mon! One of you go! If we go around it, maybe it won't bite!" Kay said.

The three stood 9 feet away from a rattlesnake, that looked like it was ready to strike.

"Let's go around it! Move it you two!" Kay said.

"I-I'm too scared ta move!" Joey admitted.

"M-me too!" Honda added in.

Kay sighed and sweatdropped. "Men are such babies." She grumbled.

* * *

"Pharaoh?"

Yami looked up and at Luna. "Hm?" He asked.

"Are you alright? You've been awfully silent since the duels." Luna asked.

Yami smiled lightly. "No…I'm alright. I've just been thinking about the duel with Yugi and the dream I had before we woke up in the teepee." He answered.

"A dream? What was it about?" Luna asked.

The three were all resting. They had been walking for quite a while and were sitting down for a break.

"Well…it was Cat." Yami said.

Anzu rolled her eyes.

"She…was communicating from wherever her soul is being kept." Yami continued.

"How did she do that?" Anzu asked.

"I don't know. But she did somehow. She told me not to be depressed anymore. And also not to worry about her or Yugi. She said that they're fine." Yami said with a small smile.

Luna smiled.

"That sounds like something she would say." She said.

Yami nodded.

"And before the dream ended, she let me listen to her sing again. I think her song planted a little more courage and will to fight a bit more. But meeting Yugi for myself added a lot of help as well. I'm glad they're both okay." He said.

"It's great to know they're okay." Luna said and Anzu nodded in agreement.

Yami stood up. "So…are we ready to go?" He asked.

Luna and Anzu nodded and stood up as well.

And they started on their journey once more.

* * *

"Seto! The plane's gonna crash!" Mokuba cried as he clung onto whatever he could.

Kaiba frowned. "Wait here." He said as ran to the cockpit and started to struggle with the controls, determined to save his little brother. No matter what.

As he pulled the plane up, his duel disk started to glow.

And just as that happened, far on the ground below, Yami's duel disk did the same thing. And not too far off, Joey's did the same thing!

All three of their dragons appeared and carried the plane down, safely, in a field near everyone.

Everyone ran to the plane, almost not noticing that, Joey, Honda and Kay were rejoined with Yami, Luna and Anzu.

"Hey! KC? It's one of Kaiba's planes!" Kay pointed out.

The dragons disappeared back to their owners and the plane door opened. Kaiba stood there with a soulless Amelda in his arms. He had just had a duel with him and Amelda lost…the Orichalcos took his soul.

Kaiba jumped down. "Great…the dweeb patrol again." He muttered.

Mokuba came out as well, trying to flag Roland down in one of the approaching helicopters.

"Did you duel Amelda on top of your plane?" Joey asked.

"Maybe I did." Kaiba answered coldly. "Don't you have someone else to annoy?"

Kay frowned. "Kaiba, for once can't you just be nice?" She asked.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and Kay glared at him some more.

"We can't do this without you, Kaiba." Yami answered. "Can you just accept your destiny and help us stop the evil?"

"If I had a dime for every time you used the word "destiny", I'd be even richer." Kaiba said.

Kay marched up to Kaiba and poked his chest. "Kaiba, I know you're a great guy deep down, so why can't you just swallow some of your pride and help us find our friends?" She asked.

Kaiba huffed. "What makes you think that I would help these dorks? " He asked.

Kay frowned a little again.

"Because Cat and Yugi are my friends too! And they'd probably stop asking for your assistance if you JUST helped them!" She pointed out.

Roland, running up to them cut the conversation.

"Mr. Kaiba! Mr. Mokuba! I'm glad to see you are unharmed! But I'm afraid I have terrible news!" He said.

* * *

"Master Dartz. The takeover was a success. KaibaCorp now belongs to you." Someone from Dartz's business division said.

Dartz grinned. "Excellent."

* * *

Everyone ended up being piled in one of Kaiba's helicopters.

"Does our company now belong to Dartz?" Mokuba asked.

"I don't get it. How is one person able to buy every single share of KaibaCorp without me knowing about it? The network should have detected it." Kaiba said. "There's only one way I can think of…someone must have hacked into our accounts."

"But…how did they get past your security system?" Kay asked.

"We're obviously dealing with a very powerful organization." Kaiba answered.

"But sir…" Roland said.

"Save it. I'm not your boss anymore." Kaiba said.

One of Kaiba's employees spoke up.

"I'll stand by your side, sir, until KaibaCorp is yours once more!" He said.

"That goes for me too, sir." Roland said.

"We're all with you." Mokuba said.

Kaiba smiled.

"Then what are we waiting for?" He asked.

"We must get to the museum and decipher those ruins." Yami pointed out.

"My team is already there, and my security force will handle any unexpected guests." Kaiba told Yami.

At the museum, Kaiba's security guards are standing in front of the museum.  
Suddenly, they're attacked by men dressed in black!

Inside the museum, the team is working the photos.

"We're almost done." One of them said. But then there's a crash!  
"Someone must have found us!" Another cried and they tried to run from the room, but they got cut short, by more men dressed in black!

"Sir! We're getting an emergency message on the red line!" The helicopter pilot alerted Kaiba.

Kaiba opened his briefcase and then pulled out the laptop that was inside.

"This could be just what I'm waiting for." He said.

A voice message could be heard.

"We're ready to upload the images of the undersea ruins."

Yami blinked in surprise.

"He must have made sure his team got there before Dartz did!" Joey exclaimed.

Yami nodded.

"What did you expect? My bro is always one step ahead of everyone else." Mokuba smiled.

Kaiba received the data safely, but the invaders attacked the man sending it. The shouts and crashes could be heard over the link.

"Oh well. At least we got what we needed." Kaiba said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Duke, Professor Hawkins and Rebecca are on the road in the Hawkins' car, towing the motor home behind them.

Rebecca read the data on her laptop from Kaiba.

"Pharaoh, my grandfather is looking at it now." She said.

"We should meet up as soon as possible." Yami said and paused. "Rebecca…I'm sorry."

"You can't blame the Pharaoh for what happened to Yugi. There's too much at stake right now for hard feelings. We're all fighting a common enemy and this data might be our only hope." Professor Hawkins said to Rebecca.

"Yes grandfather." Rebecca agreed in a sad way.

"The quality of the images are worse that I thought. Unless we clear up the photos, I won't be able to read much." Professor Hawkins said to Yami.

Kaiba looked at the pilot.

"Set a course for KaibaCorp headquarters." He said.

Everyone looked shocked!

"Wait a minute!" Honda said.

"Dartz and his gang have surely taken over by now!" Anzu added in.

"The only way we can clean up the images in time is to use the KaibaCorp computers. We have no choice." Kaiba said.

"Yes. We have to stop these criminals before they make their next move. And we have no time to lose." Yami said.

"You seem more determined…you know, since you've lost your title and all." Kaiba added in.

"This fight is about much more than a championship title! The whole world's in danger!" Yami said.

"Blah, blah, blah." Kaiba taunted. "Don't you get tired of making the same speech every time you face a challenge? Stop saving the world and get a hobby."

"We'll meet you guys at the pier, Rebecca." Yami said.

He stopped and looked out a window.

The lights in the sky are getting stronger.

"What does this mean?" Yami asks himself silently.

* * *

In the depths of the ocean, the Great Leviathan's eyes open…

"Finally! After ten thousand years, the Great Leviathan is ready to return! But in order to reach his full potential, there are several more souls that must be offered." Dartz said to himself.

Rafael walked in and kneeled before Dartz.

"Take a look at the view screen. Amelda got captured as well." He said.

"Amelda is better of where he is now. Where his energy will fuel the Great beast." Dartz said and looked at the view screen as it changed to Kaiba's helicopter flying through the sky.

"The Pharaoh and his friends will be arriving shortly. I trust that you will give them a warm welcome, Rafael." Dartz said.

"I promise that the Pharaoh will not escape this time." Rafael promised.

"It's time for Phase two." Dartz said and the wall with the view screen rose to reveal a large space with many candles set on the floor. Dartz stood up and walked among the candles.  
"Each soul must be utilized so that the Great Leviathan can cross over." He said, then called out as the seal formed beneath him. "Ancient Solders of the Orichalcos! Locate the scattered pieces of the Great Leviathan!"

The eye that was in the sky suddenly gets hit with dragon flames and it shatters. The shards of crystals fall from the sky.

"Great Leviathan! Inhabit these crystals and return to the world, for the battle of Atlantis begins again!" Dartz cried out.

In London, a clock strikes one A.M., and a boy says goodnight to some of his girl friends. But as he walks home, he sees a crystal glowing on the sidewalk.

He bent down to pick it up, thinking to himself that someone must have dropped it.

But then, a beam of light flies towards him and he screams as the crystal begins to shine.

He drops the crystal and steps back as the Seal of Orichalcos forms around the stone and an Orichalcos Soldier crawls thorough it from out of the ground. The solder then reaches for the boy, who screams for help.

Another crystal lands in Paris, and another Orichalcos Soldier rises. Other crystals fall into other cities all over the world.

"Soldiers! Deliver all of the souls you can gather!" Dartz commands the Soldiers and grins. "It's time to prepare a welcome for the so-called Chosen Duelists."

One large seal lowers around the KaibaCorp building and Orichalcos Soldiers and other monsters form within it.


	45. Frozen Tears

"It looks like they're here." Rebecca said as her, Duke and Professor Hawkins watched the helicopter land at the pier.

Yami, Luna, Kay, Joey, Honda and Anzu ran out, followed by a scowling Kaiba and Mokuba.

"Take those two to the medical center." Kaiba ordered some of his men as he pointed to Rex, Weevil and Amelda.

The men nodded and the helicopter took off again.

Everyone greeted each other.

"We ran into Mai and Valon along the way. That guy really has it in for Joey." Duke said. "And Mai's still on their side."

Joey clenched his fist. "Just wait till I find dem!" He growled.

"Is there any word about Yugi?" Rebecca asked Yami. "We have to find him. If we don't get him back, I'll never forgive you. Besides, we need him to fight these guys."

Yami sighed.  
"I miss Yugi too. I promise we'll rescue him AND Cat. But I need to pay a visit to KaibaCorp first." Yami said.

"I want to come along for tech support." Rebecca said.

"This isn't some kind of field trip, but you can tag along if you want." Kaiba said to her and turns to leave.  
"I don't know about you geeks, but I've got a company to save. Whoever's coming with me, we're moving, now!"

"Good luck, Pharaoh." Luna said to Yami.  
Yami nodded and ran after Kaiba.

"We'd better tell the police what's going on." Honda said to Anzu.

"We're taking a short cut to my central computer." Kaiba said to Yami.

They went down a manhole and are running through an underground passageway.

They reached a door and Kaiba's locket card key opens the lock.  
"If Dartz's brute squad is guarding the area, they'll never see us go inside." Kaiba said as they walked onto an elevator.

The elevator rises, but suddenly stops as a huge clawed foot stomps down on the roof of the elevator.

"Who's' up there?!" Kaiba demanded at whoever or whatever was on the roof.

The beast smashed a hole on the roof and leaps down onto the elevator with Yami and Kaiba.

Before they could do anything, the beast crashed through the wall and disappeared!

"I don't know what that was, but I'm not staying around to find out." Kaiba said and smashed the elevator controls, releasing the door.

Him and Yami pulled the door open. But in the hallway ahead, is full of monsters.

"These monsters aren't holograms!" Yami said.

"You're insane. These can't be real!" Kaiba said.

"A doorway has been opened up, and monsters from a parallel universe have entered into our world." Yami explained and then grinned at Kaiba. "Unless you have a better explanation."

"I still think you're nuts. But this isn't the time to argue." Kaiba said and the two headed into the hallway full of monsters.

* * *

"There's a motorcycle gang going around stealing people's souls with a magic card!" Anzu cried as her, Honda, Kay and Luna tried to explain the situation to the cops.

The cops laugh. "These kids watch too many cartoons." One of them says.

"We're serious! These guys are trying to take over the world!" Honda snapped.

"We're telling the truth!" Luna added in.

"Does this so-called gang wears a symbol, like this?" One of the cops asks and raises the bill of his hat, revealing the Seal of Orichalcos on his forehead.

The four gasped, turned around and ran, but the cop tosses a piece of crystal over their heads, and where it landed, a Seal formed and an Orichalcos Soldier crawls out of the ground.

"It's the same thing that dueled against the Pharaoh!" Luna gasped.

The soldier attempts to swipe at them, but they dodged it and run down a side alley.

* * *

Yami and Kaiba activated their duel disks as they ran towards the monsters, summoning some of their own, destroying the monsters that were in the way.

They finally reached the door on the other end of the hallway while the monsters they summoned stood behind them, to defend them.

But this time, Kaiba's locked card won't unlock the door!

"Someone must have reprogrammed the code!" Kaiba cried as behind them, their monsters get destroyed!  
They're trapped with no monsters to protect them!

"Need some help?" A familiar voice asks through the intercom and the door that wouldn't open, opens, and Yami and Kaiba run through.

It was Rebecca's voice! She was helping them!

The door shut behind them, cutting off a monster's paw as it tried to reach through.

Outside, the Hawkins' car and motor home are parked over a manhole.

Rebecca is working with her laptop and her grandfather, Joey and Duke are gathered around her.

"I don't know how ya did it, but you somehow hacked into KaibaCorp's security system!" Joey exclaimed.

"It's a good thing I tagged along on Kaiba's field trip." Rebecca giggled and spoke to Kaiba. "When this is over, you should let me know if you want me to upgrade your system."

"I'll think about it." Kaiba said as him and Yami ran through a series of doors Rebecca has opened for them.

"I can't access the central computer. It's on a different system." Rebecca notifies the two.

"I've got it from here." Kaiba says as they enter a large room with the central computer inside.

Kaiba ran up to a control panel and used his locket card again to start a retinal check that verifies his identity and gives him access.

He ordered the computer to shut down and reboot with the backup. He then enters a disk that held the images with the ruins, telling the computer to analyze the images.

It wasn't long until Rebecca received the cleaned-up images on her laptop.

Professor Hawkins began to translate.

"After its ten thousand year long slumber, the black serpent will swallow the sun, and then paradise will rule once more." He translated.

"Nice work! But what does it mean?" Duke asked.

"The paradise must be Atlantis." Professor Hawkins said.

Kaiba looked at an insignia on the ruins. "Where have I seen that before?" He asked himself and started to work at his keyboard.

"It's the symbol of a secret financial organization known as Paradias. No one's ever seen them, but rumor has it that they control a small piece of every company in the world." Kaiba read the data he got.

"Oh no!" He shouted. "It's them! The president of Paradias is Dartz!"

Yami looked at the image of Dartz that Kaiba pulled up. He recognized him from a vision he had. He was the man that fought against Ironheart in the ancient battle of Atlantis.

"But how can the same man who fought a war ten thousand years ago be the president of a modern corporation?" He asked himself.

Suddenly, the computer keyboards crackled with electricity, and the screens started to explode!

Rebecca's laptop screen goes blank.  
"I've lost the link!" She cried.  
"Where are the headquarters of the Paradias?" Joey asked.

Rebecca looked up the address and Joey memorized it, tossing the laptop to the side and ran for the ladder. "I'm coming!" He cried.

"Joey, wait! We need a plan first!" Honda cried, trying to stop Joey, but Joey kept on going.

* * *

Kay and Luna were on their way back to the Hawkins' car and motor home. They had walked around to see if there were any more clues.

They had found nothing.

"So…you're not Cat…you're…Luna, right?" Kay asked.

Luna nodded.

"Cat and Yugi told me a little bit about you. That you're Cat's ancestor who was…engaged to the Pharaoh that inherits Yugi's body, right?" Kay asked, making sure she heard everything right.

Luna nodded again.

"Cool…but…you're pretty silent, you know. You should probably speak a little more." Kay said.

"I apologize. I guess I've have many things on my mind lately." Luna answered.

"Like what?" Kay asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind. I've just been worrying about Cat and Yugi, hoping those two are alright."

"Is that it?"

"Huh? Well…not exactly. I guess. But it's nothing to worry about."

"No, no, let me guess. This has to do with the Pharaoh, doesn't it?"

Luna blushed. "N-no!" She answered quickly.

Kay grinned.

"You stuttered. And you denied it awfully fast. Tell me the truth." She said.

Luna looked down sadly.

"Alright." She said softly and stopped walking. Kay stopped and turned to look at her.

"It partly is…about him. I guess…it just hurts. It hurts to know…that I can't be with him any longer."

Kay's expression softened. "I see…you still love him." She said.

Luna continued to start at her feet and she nodded lightly.

A few drops landed in front of her feet. "I…I just wish…I just wish that we could have stayed together! That the world wouldn't be threatened…that he didn't have to sacrifice himself and wipe away his memories." She said in a choked voice.

Kay turned around fully and Luna raised her head, revealing non-stop tears flowing down her cheeks.

"But…I can't be selfish." She said clutching her fists against her chest tighter. "He fell in love with Cat. And…I know it's best for both of them. Because…even if he was still in love with me, I could never be with him again. There's no way I can get another body."

"So…are you angry with Cat?" Kay asked.

Luna shook her head and a few tears were shaken off but were replaced by more tears.

"No…I don't feel any hate or jealousy of Cat…I'm very happy for her…and I love her like family…since we are related. But…I just can't stop the pain! I just wish that things could have gone the way everything planned. I just wish…he didn't have to die…and that we could have been together for the rest of our lives…and our souls could be at rest…together…for eternity. And that Cat could live a normal life!" She said as her knees started to shake a little. "It's not fair for her! I didn't want any of my descendants to have to carry the burden of the frozen tears like I had to! None of them…deserve that…"

Kay had a look of sympathy as she walked over and hugged Luna.

"I'm sorry. Just cry it all out…you had to carry this pain for 3,000 years…the pain of never being with the man you love and the fact you had to deal with that other man you were forced to marry. No wonder you haven't spoken much since Cat lost her soul to the Orichalcos."

Luna began to cry uncontrollably. "I've just been no help to anyone! But…I'm going to do my best…and try to and help as much as I can…"

Kay smiled. "That's the spirit. When you've felt like you've let all the tears out, we'll head back, alright?"

"Thank you…" Luna choked through her tears.

* * *

Kaiba and Yami heard Dartz's laughed.

"You two were so close, yet so far!" He said.

Suddenly, the Great Leviathan appeared before the two with Dartz standing on its forehead.  
"Thank you so much for coming to me. You've made my job so much easier." He said.

"What do you want?" Yami asked.

"It should have been obvious. You're the Chosen Duelists, aren't you? Then prove it." Dartz answered.

"I don't have to prove anything to you! Give me back my company!" Kaiba snapped at Dartz.

"AND give back the souls you took!" Yami added to the demand.

"You're in no position to make demands." Dartz replied.

"So then…I'll make you a deal!" Yami said, activating his duel disk. "Duel us! And if we win, you must release your prisoners at once!"

Kaiba joined Yami and they both summoned their legendary dragons, Timaeus and Critius.

"Hello dragons. How is the eye, Timaeus?" Dartz said.

Timaeus roared, showing the scare through his right eye, where Dartz's sword cut.

The dragon angrily sends a blast of flame at Leviathan.

It disappears along with Dartz. But they can still hear Dartz's voice.

"The ancient battle continues. And soon your souls will be mine. Farewell…for now." He said.

"Get back here!" Yami called. But Dartz is gone.

The door suddenly opens and monsters start to rush in.  
Kaiba runs toward an elevator.  
"C'mon!" He said to Yami.

They rode the elevator to the roof and ran across it, still being followed by monsters. The two reached the edge of the roof.

"Get ready to jump!" Kaiba said. Yami looked shocked for a moment.

"I trusted you, now you trust me!" Kaiba said as he looked down.

There was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet, flying just beyond the roof. The cockpit is open.

The two boys jump off the building and into the cockpit of the jet. They begin to fly away, but one of the monsters fired an attack at them and it hit the jet! The jet started to spiral down and crash-landed in the street below.

They quickly got out of the jet and watched explosions that appeared inside the building.

Kaiba clenched his fists. "I won't let Dartz take my company apart!" He growled.

"We've got bigger things to worry about." Yami said as the two looked up and saw the silhouette of the Great Leviathan across the sky.


	46. Orichalcos Soldiers

"The Pharaoh's friends are headed your way." Rafael started.

He had sent Valon a message.

Valon stood on a hillside.

"Time to show Jonouchi Katsuya who's boss!" Valon growled and shut the receiver off before Rafael could finish his message.

Swiftly, he jumped on his bike and heads off.

"I have to prove myself to Mai." He said to himself.

* * *

"Where are they coming from?!" Kay cried.

Luna and Kay were running from another Orichalcos Soldier.

"I don't know!" Luna cried.

All of the sudden, Joey zips past them in the opposite direction.

Kay and Luna stopped and looked at him.  
"JOEY! STOP!" Luna cried after him.

"You're headed straight for the zombie patrol!" Kay cried after him.

But Joey didn't stop.

Luna frowned and heaved a small sigh. "Kay…go back and warn the others! I'll follow Joey." She said and quickly dashed after Joey.

"LUNA!" Kay cried, but it was too late to stop her. Frowning, Kay ran towards the motor home.

* * *

Joey continued to run.  
"I'm comin' after Dartz! And I'm not leaving without Yugi, Mai or Cat!" He thought to himself fiercely.

Luna continued to chase after him. "JOEY! PLEASE, STOP!" She cried.

Just then, he did stop!

An Orichalcos Soldier came out of an alley!

"Maybe…we should start running again?" Joey asked.

The two started to run away, but were nearly ran over by a guy on a motorcycle.

The two stopped.

"HEY! WATCH OUT!" Joey yelled to the man.

"STOP! YOU'RE HEADING FOR DANGER!" Luna called to the man as well.

But the man ignored their warnings and kept on going…until he crashed into the Orichalcos Soldier.

The man looked up at it in fear.  
"I-I must be dreaming!" He cried and ran away.

The Orichalcos Soldier ignored the man and stepped over his fallen bike, coming after Luna and Joey.

"We'll never outrun him!" Luna cried.

Joey frowned. "It's time to fight!" He said in a determined voice and ran up to the Soldier and punches it in the gut.

Suddenly, it cracks and exploded into pieces.

"You beat him!" Luna cried.

"No…someone else did." Joey said.

Behind where the Soldier once stood was a man on a motorcycle, his hand glowing with energy.

"It's you! Valon!" Joey snapped. "You're the one who took Mai!"

"That's right." Valon said and turned his bike around and rode away. "Follow me if you dare!" He called after him.

Joey glared at him and quickly dashed after him.

"Joey! Please come back!" Luna called after him. "You can't trust him!"

Once again, Joey ignored her pleas and picked up the bike that the other biker had left when he ran away, and rode after Valon.

Luna stood in the street, alone. "He can't…he's going right in a trap." She whispered to herself, fearfully.

* * *

Joey followed Valon through all sorts of obstacles.

It took him a moment, but Valon finally stopped in the street, Joey joined him.

"Is that it?" Joey asked.

"So you want a little more?" Valon asked and took off again.

Joey groaned in frustration and followed Valon once again.

* * *

"I wonder when they'll get back?" Rebecca asked.

"They'll get back, when they get back." Duke said.

The two, plus Mokuba, were waiting for Yami and Kaiba to return.

Mokuba paced a little and stopped, looking up. He spotted Yami and Kaiba walked back to them.

"HEY! SETO! YUGI!" Mokuba called to them happily. "I was worried about you guys for a moment."

"We're fine." Kaiba said, stopping in front of Mokuba. "But now we know who we're after. It's time we crashed their party."

"You'd better act fast, because Joey ran off to find those Paradias guys on his own." Rebecca said.

"We'd better get there before Joey does, then." Yami said, worriedly.

"Joey better not screw this up for us." Kaiba growled.

All of the sudden, Kay ran up.

"We've got bigger problems!" She panted. "Those same monsters…that you Luna, and Anzu saw in the desert are roaming the city!"

"Well then, we'd all better jump in my car and go!" Duke said.

"Things are worse than we can imagine!" Professor Hawkins said as he walked out of the motor home. "According to the evening news, thousands of people around the world are suddenly collapsing in the streets."

"It's those monsters!" Anzu said.

"They must be using the power of the Orichalcos to capture people's souls!" Rebecca added in.

Professor Hawkins nodded.

"And every police officer in town in under their spell too." Kay said. "And…Luna ran after Joey."

"By herself?!" Yami asked.

"Yes. Sorry Pharaoh…I couldn't stop her in time." Kay said.

"All right…we have to battle these monsters on our own. And find our way to Dartz then." Yami said.

* * *

"My Soldiers continue to collect the souls of man and beast…until they have amassed enough power to rebuild Atlantis." Dartz said, kneeling before the altar.

* * *

Luna ran through the streets, calling for Joey. She suddenly stopped when she heard a motorcycle drive up from behind her.

"Joey?" She asked as she turned around. But it wasn't. "M-Mai!"

"Where's Joey?!" Mai demanded.

"One of your allies lead him away! And now he's gone. I don't know where he is!" Luna cried.

"Valon…" Mai muttered to herself. "Get out of my way!" She told Luna and drove past Luna.

"Mai! Stop!" She cried.

Luna sighed. "She's…the last thing Joey needs right now."

* * *

"Alright…let's get down to business." Valon said, hopping off his bike in an empty lot.

"I want Mai back!" Joey snapped.

"Mai has a mind of her own." Valon said.

"She DID." Joey snapped again. "Before your bunch brainwashed her!"

"Mai wasn't brainwashed! I asked her to join us, on her own free will. Because she was sick of taking back seat while you got all the fame. Then I stepped in and changed all that."

"You messed with her head! She was one of my best friends! But the last time I saw her, she was sayin' things I know Mai would NEVER say!" Joey yelled.

"I led you here to get rid of you for good. Mai can't be happy with you around. You're a constant reminder of what her life used to be. She wants to forget all that." Valon said.

"_And I know…deep down, Mai still loves Joey. I can't have that._" Valon thought to himself.

"I challenge you to a duel!" Valon said, activating his Duel Disk.

"I always accept a challenge! Especially when I'm fighting for a friend!" Joey said, activating his Duel Disk as well.

The duel began.

* * *

"Be patient, Great Leviathan. My Orichalcos Soldiers are gathering the energy necessary to fuel your rebirth. Then, we'll cleanse the earth of its impurities and rebuild paradise!" Dartz cried.

* * *

Everyone is on the move in Professor Hawkins' motor home.

"We're less than a mile from Paradias headquarters." Rebecca said, working on her laptop.

"We'll have our company back in no time!" Mokuba said to Kaiba.

"I'm not so sure. We're dealing with an extremely powerful organization, and it's going to take everything we have to bring them down." Kaiba said.

* * *

Luna sat on the sidewalk, leaning against a lamppost.  
"I'm lost… I'll never fine Joey now." She sighed and looked up, suddenly, facing an Orichalcos Soldier looming over her.

She let out a short cry of terror and jumped back, knocking the lamppost down.

When she tried to run, she tripped over the fallen lamppost, hitting the ground in front of the Solider.

All of the sudden a truck pulls up…it's Duke! He slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting Luna, knocking everyone in the motor home, which was connected to the truck, over.

Everyone jumped out to see what was going on.

"Guys! Look! It's Luna! And she apparently has an unwanted guest!" Duke cried to them and pointed out Luna.

Yami became alarmed and whipped out a card, summoning it, before the monster could attack her.

The Celtic Guardian rushed over and destroyed the Orichalcos Soldier.

Everyone ran to her side.

Luna took a deep breath. "Thank you so much, Pharaoh…" She said.

Yami helped her up. "You're welcome. I was afraid what might have happened if it took your soul." He said.

"Where's Joey?" Kay asked.

"I couldn't catch him…he jumped on someone's motorcycle and chased after one of Dartz's henchmen." Luna explained.

"Was it Valon?" Duke asked.

"Not only does he have a thing against Joey, he's got a deck full of monsters I've never seen before!" Rebecca said.

"We have to find Joey before it's too late!" Yami said.

Suddenly, Kaiba activated his duel disk. "We've got bigger problems." He said.

Everyone looked around. Orichalcos Soldiers surrounded them!

They were coming out of every doorway and alley possible!

* * *

"You don't even understand what Dartz did for me!" Valon snapped at Joey.

"I was a young boy and I was a juvenile delinquent. A nun took care of me, but one day some freaks came and threw us out, burning the church down!

Later on, I was thrown in jail for beating them with a pipe! My life was horrible. I was always getting into fights and everything went wrong for me…until one day, Dartz came a asked me to join him. I agreed of course."

"Dat's the lamest story I've ever heard!" Joey said.

"Shut up! I duel on my own terms! Just like I've always have. And today, I'm not fighting for Dartz! I'm fighting for myself!" Valon exclaimed.

"_Well…at least he isn't stupid. A long time ago, I might have agreed with Valon. I used to fight like dat all the time._" Joey thought to himself. "_Winning was the only thing that meant anything to me. But now I know that's not the real way. After I met Yugi and fought many duelists, although I experienced many unpleasant things, I've learned a lot._"

* * *

The Orichalcos Soldiers start to close in on the gang.

"Maybe we can outrun them!" Rebecca said.

"I've already tried that." Luna said.

Yami suddenly runs up to one of the Orichalcos Soldiers, activating his duel disk. Kaiba joined him.

Kay frowned, determined and pulled out her duel disk from her bag, joining Kaiba and activating her disk.

Kaiba looked at her with confusion.

Kay grinned at him. "You really think I'm going to let you fight these things without me?" She said.

Kaiba stared at her for a moment before returning the smirk. "I didn't expect you to."

Luna also pulled out her duel disk from her bag and joined Yami's side, activating the disk.

"Luna? What are you doing? This is too dangerous!" Yami said.

Luna shook her head.  
"I'm going to help you. Cat wasn't able to for fill her promise…so I'm going to do it for her. She would have wanted it that way…besides…I don't want to let you do this alone." She said, giving him a small smile.

Yami blinked and returned the smile. "Alright then. Let's do this!" He said.

Luna nodded.

Yami and Luna were back to back with Kay and Kaiba.

"Seto! Kay! It's too dangerous!" Mokuba cried.

"There's nothing dangerous about a bunch of holograms." Kaiba said.

Kay rolled her eyes. "I don't think they're holograms, but okay."

Yami and Kaiba summoned their legendary dragon cards! Timaeus and Critius!

Luna summoned the Dark Magician Girl and the Magicians Valkyria. Kay summoned the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The five monsters hovered above the street.

* * *

Valon drew a card. The duel was still raging on.

"When Psychic Armor Head is in my graveyard, I can automatically bring it back to the field. But Psychic Armor Head should be the least of your worries, Joey." Valon said with an evil grin.

Joey blinked. "No! Not that!" He cried.

Valon smirked and played the Seal of Orichalcos!

* * *

Mai stood on a distant rooftop and spotted the Seal of Orichalcos rise above the streets. "Valon!" She said and hopped back on her motorcycle and started to ride down the steps.

"That loser had better leave a piece of Joey for me!" She said.

* * *

Valon smirked evilly as his eyes started to glow red and the Seal appeared on his forehead.

"I'm not such a bad guy. We both want the same thing. We want Mai to be happy." Valon said.

"If you really wanted Mai to be happy, you wouldn't have brainwashed her in the first place! I know Mai, and she never would have walked out on me unless someone had messed with her head! Dartz is messing with all of your heads! That Orichalcos card has evil magic in it, and it makes everyone who holds it go nuts!" Joey snapped.

"Are you done?" Valon asked. "I'll tell you the truth. The Orichalcos card did more for Mai than you ever could. She was weak and it made her strong. She was lost and it showed her the way. Mai can't stand the sight of you! And neither can I! Once you're out of the picture, Mai can move on to bigger and better things. Like teaming up with me!"

"Mai would never want to get rid of me! Not after what we've been through! We're friends…and she's nothing like you!" Joey snapped, remembering back in Duelist Kingdom, when she gave him the card he needed so he could duel in the finals. Giving up her prize money for him.

"She'd never join up with a bunch of lowlifes who have some crazy plan to take over the world! Whatever you and the others did to her, I'm going to undo as soon as I win this duel!"

* * *

The five monsters start to destroy the Orichalcos Soldiers.

A few started to advance to Anzu and Rebecca, but the Dark Magician Girl and Magicians Valkyria quickly destroyed them. Luna ran up to the two.

"Are you guys okay?" She asked.

"We are now." Anzu said.

Kaiba watched calmly as Critius stomped on the Orichalcos Soldiers.

Mokuba looked around. "That's all of them." He announced.

The five monsters returned to their owner's decks as everyone gathered back together.

"Where were you two?" Anzu asked Duke and Honda.

"We tried to lead those things away." Duke said.

"By running really far." Honda grinned.

Kaiba then turned and started to walk away.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Kay called to him.

"We have to stick together!" Anzu said.

"If you think just because I helped chase off some holograms, I'm now a part of your little pep squad, you've got the wrong idea." Kaiba said and turned around. "Adios, it's been a real blast."

"Would you at least help us find Joey?" Yami asked.

"Use your heads." Kaiba said and continued walking, Mokuba followed.

"Oh, that's it!" Kay growled and followed after him, calling over her shoulder. "I'm going to follow him! You guys carry on without me, alright?"

"There's a simple way to find that loser if you think about it!" Kaiba called to them one last time.

"Oh, I get it!" Rebecca exclaimed. "We can use the satellite system to track Joey's Duel Disk!"  
She ran back into the motor home.

"We need to access your company's tracking system!" Yami called to Kaiba. But he ignored him.

"Come back! I know you can still hear us!" Anzu called after Kaiba as well. But he still ignored them.

"Let him go." Honda said.

* * *

Inside the motor home, Rebecca was trying to hack into Kaiba Corp's satellite system while her grandfather watched.

"I hacked into his system once, I can do it again." She said.

She entered in a password, and it came up as an error.

* * *

"What will we do if Rebecca can't crack the code and track down Joey?" Anzu asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." Duke said.

"We have to have a little faith." Honda said.

Yami looked at his Timaeus card.


	47. Joey and Mai

Mai stopped her motorcycle where she thought the Orichalcos card was played. "I know they're around here somewhere…and I have to stop that duel, now!" She said. "I'd better not be late. I'm going to make Joey pay for what he did to me."

Mai suddenly had a memory of Malik laughing at her as she was imprisoned in an hourglass and Malik telling her that her soul would be eaten by darkness and she would be alone.

Mai grabbed her head. "I won't got back to that place!" She growled. "I have to destroy Joey!"

The Orichalcos stone she wore around her neck started to glow and she lifted her head, her eyes glowing red and the seal formed on her forehead.

"As soon as Joey's locked away, I can put my past behind me, once and for all. That pathetic fool won't know what hit him until it's too late." She said.

* * *

Rebecca was having a hard time trying to hack into Kaiba Corp's satellite system.

She tried another password, but it still came up as an error.

* * *

"I wonder if she's having any luck?" Honda asked, standing outside of the motor home.  
"You've asked that five times." Anzu said.

"You're the one who told us we had to have faith." Duke pointed out.  
"Hey, get off my back." Honda said. "Joey's in trouble, and if we don't move fast, things could get worse."

"Honda, it's alright." Anzu said.

"It's all my fault. When me and Joey and Kay were separated from the others, he told me about his plan. I should have talked him out of it then." Honda said.

Honda remembered what happened…

* * *

_Joey, Kay and Honda walked along the railroad tracks._

_"I've got it all figured out. Mai teamed up with those lowlifes because I was a terrible friend." Joey said._

_"That's crazy." Honda said._

_"It's true! Dartz may be the one who brainwashed her, but I'm the one who drove her away in the first place!" Joey said and took off down the tracks. "Now I've gotta set things straight! By finding those guys and breaking that spell!"_

_Honda and Kay watched him run. "How does he plan to do that?" Honda asked._

* * *

"What was I thinking? How could I like Joey do this?" Honda asked.

"Joey's got a mind of his own." Luna said.

"I just hope he's using it." Yami said.

* * *

After a while of working, Rebecca finally was able to get in!

"Well done!" Professor Hawkins said. "What does it say?"

* * *

"I can't wait around anymore! Joey needs our help! And he needs it now!" Honda said, frustrated.

"Chill." Anzu said.

"Anzu's right. Without Kaiba's tracking system, we have no hope of finding Joey." Duke said.

"Joey might be losing his soul as we speak!" Honda exclaimed.

"Should we go?" Luna asked.

"We should wait a little longer. We have to give Rebecca a chance to find him." Yami said. "Until then, I have faith that Joey can take care of himself."

Rebecca came to the door of the motor home. "I found Joey!" She announced. "According to the readout, he's not far!" She held the map out to Yami.

Yami took the map and read it. "Alright…I'll track him down."

"You're not going alone." Luna said.

"She's right!" Anzu said.

"We're all in this together." Honda finished.

"Thank you." Yami said. "Alright. Let's go!"

Rebecca cleared her throat loudly.

"You need to stay here." Yami told Rebecca and then turned to Duke. "Keep an eye on Rebecca and the Professor until we get back."

"Hey, wait!" Rebecca said and was about to protest more, but Professor Hawkins stopped her. "We need your talents back here." He said.

"As soon as Joey's safe, we'll find Yugi and Cat. And I promise Yugi will be alright." Yami said to Rebecca.

"Go kick some butt!" Duke cheered to them.

Yami, Luna, Honda and Anzu took off.

"Yugi will be back soon, safe and sound. I believe in the Pharaoh, and you should too." Professor Hawkins said to Rebecca as they watched the four go.

"_Rebecca's having a hard time forgiving the Pharaoh for what happened to Yugi. She must think he'll be tempted by evil again. We'll just have to hope she's wrong._" Professor Hawkins thought to himself.

* * *

The four ran down the street. Anzu had the map. "Joey should be only a few blocks away!" She said.

Yami then stopped, noticing a glow from his Duel Disk. He pulled out his legendary dragon card.

It's glowing!

"Joey must have played his dragon!" Luna said.

* * *

Kaiba, Mokuba and Kay were at a car dealership, trying to find transportation.

"I like the red sports car." Mokuba grinned.

"Wow, Mokuba…nice…choice?" Kay said laughing a little.

"That's fine. We don't have time to shop around." Kaiba said.

Mokuba beamed and got it.

"It's time to pay Dartz a visit." Kaiba said.

The car salesman walked out. "What are you doing in the car?" He asked.

"We're buying it." Mokuba answered.

Being silent, Kaiba whipped out his checkbook and twirled his pen, then wrote out a check.

"Keep the change." Kaiba said, handing it to the salesman and drove off.

"H-hey! Come back!" The salesman cried and looked down at the check.

"F-FIVE HUNDERED THOUSAND DOLLARS?! SETO KAIBA?!" He cried, in shock.

"This beats taking the bus." Mokuba said.

"You said it." Kay said. "It beats walking too." She grinned.

Mokuba laughed. "Yeah!"

"_I have a feeling Joey's in trouble again. But I don't have time to bail that chump out. I have bigger things to deal with._" Kaiba thought to himself before stepping on the accelerator.

* * *

"I have to admit. You're putting up quite a fight." Valon said.

"You too." Joey said. "But I'm not fighting for fun. This is about saving my friends."

Just then, Mai finally arrived.

"Mai! You're just in time to catch the end of the greatest duel ever played!" Valon said happily.

"We had a deal! Joey's mine!" Mai said angrily and walked into the barrier formed by the Seal of Orichalcos. "You've done enough! So why don't you take a hike and let me finish this?"

"No! I'm having way too much fun to stop now! Plus, too much is at stake, and I won't let you risk losing everything you have. That's why I challenged in the first place! To protect you! I wanted to get rid of him so you'd be able to move on with your life! And that's exactly what I'm going to do!" Valon said.

"Guess what? I'm fighting for the same reason!" Joey snapped at Valon.

"So? Get on with it." Valon said.

* * *

Everyone continued to run down the street until Anzu stopped.

"Hold on." She said.

"There's no time to rest, Joey could be dueling that Valon guy right now! If we don't hurry, Joey could be one soul short!" Honda said.

"That's why I stopped! According to the map, he should be nearby! We need to stop running and start looking down each street!" Anzu said.

Luna looked at Yami, who was looking at his Timaeus card.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. But a moment ago, I could sense the presence of Joey's legendary dragon. Now it's gone…and I'm afraid that Joey's dragon was destroyed." Yami answered.

"Does that mean Joey lost?" Anzu asked.

"No way." Honda said.

"I can't be sure until we find him." Yami said.

They took off once again.

* * *

Mai watched their duel, outside of the seal.

"These numbskulls think they're going to save me by winning. But I don't need to be saved. All I need is my victory over Joey!" She said to herself.

The Seal of Orichalcos glowed on her forehead again and she put a hand over it, and looked as if it was causing her pain.

After a while of more dueling…Joey won.

"You won…" Valon said and smiled. "Congratulations." He then looked at Mai. "Good bye."

Mai looked shocked. "This…is my fault." She said.

"Don't be silly. I caused my own downfall. I though if I won, I could make you forget about Joey. But now I understand why Joey meant so much to you. They guy's got heart." Valon said.

Mai tried to run to him, but stopped at the seal's barrier.  
"It up to you now, to save Mai." Valon told Joey before the seal contracted around Valon, taking his soul.

* * *

Dartz kneeled before the Great Leviathan's alter.

"I sense the arrival of a powerful soul." He said and looked up at the wall, seeing Valon's picture appear on the wall. "Now it's Ms. Valentine's turn to send me a soul…or give up her own." He said.

* * *

Mai held Valon in her arms, crying and begging him to come back.  
"It's too late. The Orichalcos has him now." Joey said. "But don't worry. We'll get him back!"

Mai laid Valon's soulless body down. "How could he do this? He was the one who told me I have to duel for myself. And then he just turns and fights Joey to protect me! How pathetic." She said and the smiled. "He deserved this."

Joey looked shocked at the sudden turnaround.

"Mai! Valon realized that what he told you was wrong! He found out what dueling was really about! Determination of the heart!" Joey said. "He fought like a True Duelist today."

Mai stood up and turned to Joey, with the seal glowing on her forehead.  
"I thought you wanted to destroy Valon." She said.

"He may have been annoying, but no one deserves to have their soul taken away." Joey said.

"_Well…I realize something now. As long as that Orichalcos thing has control of her mind, I'll never be able to talk any sense into her. The only way I can save her now is to duel her._" Joey thought to himself.

"Mai…let's duel without any regrets for either of us." Joey said.

"So you beat this loser and now it's gone to your head? Why else would you be dumb enough to challenge me to a duel?" She said. "You should have learned your lesson from our last duel."

"The only way I can get through to you is to duel you." Joey said, putting his deck into the Duel Disk.

"Fine. I accept your challenge." Mai said.

* * *

Yami, Luna, Honda and Anzu continued running down the streets.

"Maybe the tracking system was screwed up?" Honda suggested.

Yami looked down at his Timaeus card and suddenly started to run in a different direction.

"Follow me!" He called.

* * *

"We're about a block from Paradias headquarters, and so far the coast is clear." Mokuba said as him, Kaiba and Kay continued to ride in the new sports car.

"You may have spoken a little too soon. We've got company." Kaiba said.

Kay looked out the windshield. "What?" She asked and spotted the Orichalcos Soldiers blocking the street.

Kaiba screeched the sports car to a stop and the three jumped out.

"I'll handle this." Kaiba said and took a couple of steps towards the Soldiers.

"I don't know what you are, or even if you exist at all. But I don't have any time to play games! Back off!"

The Orichalcos Soldiers stood their ground.

"Wow…good job Kaiba." Kay grinned with a sarcastic tone.

* * *

"You go first, Mai." Joey said.

"Big mistake." Mai said as she drew a card. And the duel started.

Once she finished her turn, Joey drew a card.

His arm shook and his eyes were starting to go out of focus. It was no good. He was still exhausted from his duel with Valon.

"You'd better not be taking it easy on me again. I want a real duel." Mai said when it was her turn.

"Oh, it's a real duel." Joey said. "No one's going easy on anybody. In fact, I'm dueling you with all my heart and soul. It's the only way to save you."

"Try saving yourself. I'm doing just fine by myself. If you cramp my style, you'll end up in a world of hurt!" Mai said.

"I understand everything. You've forgotten what dueling's all about. So I'm here to remind you." Joey said.

Mai sneered. "If you think you're going to teach me a lesson on Duel Monsters, then you're wasting your time, and mine." She said.

The duel continued.

"You're pretty confident for someone who's about to lose." Mai said and drew. Just then, a smile appeared on her face. "I drew it." She said and played a card…the Seal of Orichalcos.

* * *

Everyone stopped when they saw the Seal in the sky, several blocks away.  
"Oh no! Joey!" Honda cried.  
"It's the Seal of Orichalcos! And we all know what that means!" Yami said.

"It means someone is going to lose their soul!" Luna said.

They took off towards the seal.

* * *

The seal formed around Mai and Joey and it started to glow on Mai's forehead.

"We're locked in the Seal." Mai said. "And only one of us will escape. No one can come to your rescue now. It's just me, you and the most powerful magic card that's ever been created!"

"I was expecting this." Joey said.

"Now that the Seal of Orichalcos is on the field, the evil that controls Mai has grown ten times stronger. But I know the real Mai is in there somewhere, and I'm going to set her free." Joey thought to himself.

"Things are starting to look a little bad for you, Joey. Do you plan on running away?" Mai asked.

"I don't plan on running at all. I'll keep fighting until I break through to you…or lose my soul tryin'!" Joey said.

* * *

"JOEY!"

The four continued to look for their friend, calling for him.

"I could have sworn that, that Orichalcos thing was activated right here!" Honda said.

"Yeah…so why isn't it here now?" Anzu asked.

"Unless we're too late." Luna said.

"Hang on Joey…"Yami said silently and the four ran off again.

* * *

"What do we do now?" Mokuba asked as they stood before the army of Orichalcos Soldiers.

"We exterminated these oversized cockroaches." Kaiba answered and activated his duel disk.

"I agree." Kay said, activating hers as well.

The two both summoned Blue-Eyes White dragon and ordered them to attack.

The Blue-Eyes White dragons attacked and wiped a bunch of them out…but then more Soldiers materialize in their place.

"How are you supposed to get rid of these things?" Mokuba asked. "When you smash them, they come right back!"

"If at first you don't succeed…" Kaiba started.

"Blast 'em with your Blue-Eyes again!" Both Kaiba and Kay said at the same time.

The Blue-Eyes White Dragons attacked the Soldiers again, but again, more came!

An Orichalcos Solider snuck up behind Mokuba and grabbed him.

"SETO! KAY! HELP!" He cried.

"Mokuba!" Kay cried.

Kaiba quickly summoned Critius and the dragon destroyed the Orichalcos Soldier holding Mokuba, plus some others.

But they still came.

"I won't give up!" Kaiba growled.

The two ordered their dragons to attack again.

* * *

"Are my Harpies too much for you?" Mai asked as she watched his leg shake a little.

"Why don't you try fighting two duels in a row?" Joey snapped back.

"Quit making excuses and duel, or you'll end up like Valon." Mai said.

"I'm really starting to miss the old Mai." Joey said and drew a card.

"Hmph! You must really be an idiot! Bragging about your new monster, but not even using it!" Mai taunted.

"I'm just waiting for the right time." Joey answered.

"It's typical of you. You put on this tough guy show, but inside, you're just a scared little kid. Do you honestly think you can win this duel?" Mai asked.

"That depends on what you mean by the word "win." To me, winning's about more than cards and life points." Joey said.

"Spare me." Mai said.

"When I first met you, you told me you only cared about yourself and had no friends. If I recall back at Duelist Kingdom, I told you that you should hang out with me and my friends. After we dueled side by side, I thought you had discovered something more important than winning. Something called friendship. But I guess I was wrong. Or maybe you just forgot." Joey continued.

"Save it. I've come too far to turn back now." Mai said. The seal on her forehead started to glow again. "It's time to destroy you."

"I'll always stand by you, no matter what. And I'll never forget our friendship." Joey said.

They dueled some more.

"That was a nice move." Mai said.

"I wouldn't be this good of a duelist without you. You've always pushed me to be my best." Joey said.

"_How can he still feel that way about me? After everything I've put him through. Why doesn't he give into his anger like everyone else? I could never be like that…Maybe Joey's different? I remember Valon telling me now he understood why Joey meant so much to me…he has heart. And I remember Joey telling me that he's fighting with all his heart and soul, because it's the only way to save me. So what if Valon was right? That's all the more reason to crush Joey. If he really duels with all his soul, I'll just have to take his soul away._" Mai thought to herself.

The Orichalcos stone around her neck started to glitter a little. "It's over for you." Mai said.

* * *

"It won't be long now, Great Leviathan." Dartz said in his temple. "Soon the chosen duelists will be ours."

* * *

"You're one of the greatest duelists I know. And I'm sure you're going to make the right decision. Underneath all that anger and frustration is a good person. I remember you giving me the entry card at Duelist Kingdom so I could play in the finals." Joey said.

"That was a long time ago." Mai said. "And I'm sick of taking a back seat to you."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. But do you really think you're better off now? You're still taking back seat, only now it's to some loony who promised you power." Joey said.

"Without power, I'm nothing. It's too late. My fate has already been sealed, and so has yours." Mai said.

They dueled more, until it was it…Mai was one attack away from winning.

But she suddenly remembered what they've been through.

_Joey teasingly giving her back the Star Chips she lost to Panik…the time when he caught her when she fell from a flagpole after Jean Claude Magnum tried to kidnap her…and then she remembered when he stood in front of her to defend her from Ra's attack in her duel with Marik. And finally…telling her goodbye after Battle City ended._

Joey smiled. "Congratulations…you win." He said and fell to his knees, unable to stand up any longer.

Mai ran to him, dropping all her card and catching him as he fell. "You're wrong! I never attacked!" She said.

"I'm too exhausted to finish." Joey said.

"I won't let the Orichalcos take you!" Mai cried.

"It's too late. I already lost the duel. I'm just glad that if one of them had to lose their soul, it didn't have to be you." Joey said.

The seal started to contract around them.

"This was one of the greatest duels I've ever fought. Thank you." Joey said and pushed her out of the seal, taking the Orichalcos stone from around her neck. As the seal passed the stone, it cracked.

* * *

Dartz looked up. "She's been set free." He said and looked at the stone wall, seeing Joey's picture appear on the wall. "It seems Ms. Valentine has served her purpose."

* * *

As the four continued running, Yami looked at his Timaeus card and then looked up, seeing Timaeus appear on top of a building. He roared and then dissolved away.

* * *

Kaiba, Kay and Mokuba looked surprised when Critius also roared and flied up into the sky.

"There must be some kind of glitch in the holographic image!" Kaiba said.

* * *

The Seal of Orichalcos disappeared and Joey fell to the ground, soulless. The Hermos card slipped from his fingers.

Mai cradled him in her arms and started to weep.

"This is all my fault." She said. "I was angry and confused and I blamed it on Joey. So I tried to get rid of him…how could I be so selfish! He was the only one left who ever cared about me."

She hugged him tighter and continued to cry.

"He's the only friend I've ever had…and how did I repay him? By leaving him for a madman who promised me power."

She then propped him up against the fence beside Valon and picked up his Hermos card.

Then, she jumped onto her motorcycle. "I swear that I'll make Dartz regret meeting Mai Valentine!"

She then drove away. "The only way to fix this is to meet Dartz face to face." She said to herself and parked her bike before Paradias Headquarters and entered the building.

She then got onto the elevator, rode to the top floor and walked into the hallway.

She stopped when she spotted a shadowy figure. "Is that you Dartz?" She asked.

"Guess again."

Mai frowned. "What do you want?" She asked angrily.

* * *

After the long search, the four finally found where the duel took place…to find everything was over. The four looked at Joey and Valon in shock.  
"He lost the duel!" Yami exclaimed. "His soul belongs to Dartz now…"

Everyone gathered around Joey.

"Joey! Please say something!" Anzu begged.

"I don't think he can." Yami said.

"Then it's true." Luna said sadly.

"The Orichalcos took his soul." Anzu said sinking to the ground.

"When I get my hands on the person who did this, they'll wish they were never born!" Honda growled and kneeled before Joey, tears running down his face. "Wake up!" He cried as he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I wonder who did it…by the looks of it…it wasn't Valon." Anzu said as she looked at him.

"Joey must have defeated Valon. And then Mai showed up…she might have done this to him." Luna said.

Yami nodded. "But there's only one person we can really blame for all this. He hides in his fortress while others do his dirty work. Well not anymore." He said, frowning and ran off.

"Wait!" Anzu called as her and Honda lifted Joey between them.

Luna quickly dashed after Yami.

"Dartz…this all ends NOW!" Yami said to himself quietly.

He made it to the building and stood in the empty foyer.

Luna caught up with him.

They heard Dartz's laughter. "I've been expecting you!"

Yami and Luna ran to the elevator and the door opens. Mai's standing there! But suddenly, she fell into Yami's arms, unconscious. The two spotted a feather drifting down inside the elevator.  
"Mai must have been in a duel and lost." Yami said.

"Poor Mai…"Luna said with a sad look.

Yami set her up against the wall and the two walked into the elevator.

"I must put an end to this." Yami said.

The elevator rose to the Roof level where they're greeted by Rafael.

"It's about time you showed up for our rematch." He smirked.

"I'm here to see Dartz." Yami said as he moved Luna behind him.

Rafael remained silent as the appearance of the Guardian wings at his shoulders.

"Is Dartz so much of a coward, that he sent you to do his battles for him?" Yami asked.

Rafael stepped forward. "You owe me something, Pharaoh." He said.

Rafael tossed Yami a card…its Joey's Hermos card!  
"You defeated Joey?" Yami asked.

"It was Mai who beat Joey. And then I defeated her." Rafael said.

"Why? Wasn't Mai on your side?" Luna asked.

"I never trusted her. And it turns out I was right. After she took Joey's soul, she turned on us." Rafael said.

* * *

_"I've had enough of this world domination mumbo-jumbo! I want out! It's time for Dartz to answer for what he made me do to Joey!" Mai said, slamming her hands down on Dartz's conference table, while Rafael stood on the other side of the table._

_"It's my duty to protect Dartz." Rafael said and activated his Duel Disk. "Say goodbye to your soul."_

_After the duel, Mai cried out to Joey as the Seal of Orichalcos took her soul._

_"I tried my best." She said._

_The Hermos card fell out of her hand as she fell to the floor._

_"Your best wasn't good enough." Rafael said._

* * *

Yami held onto the Hermos card, his hand trembling. "This madness has to stop!" He growled.

"Think of how many innocent lives have been destroyed! You may be next!"

"I don't care. I made a commitment to Dartz to help him save the planet from people like you and that girl behind you. If keeping my promise means giving up my own soul, so be it." Rafael said. "Even if I'm taken, I'll be doing my part. By giving the Great Leviathan the strength it needs to restore peace to the world."

"Wake up! Can't you see that Dartz is just using you for his own selfish needs?! If you really wants to save the world, you should stop fighting me and join me!" Yami said.

"As soon as the Great Beast is revived, your side will no longer exist. And all it needs is one more strong soul." Rafael said. "Even as we speak, the Great Leviathan lurks in the shadows all over the Earth. And as soon as I defeat you, your soul will be offered to the Great Beast, giving it the strength it needs to fully cross over into our world."


	48. Dartz: The Final Battle

Honda and Anzu continued to carry Joey, trying to follow Yami and Luna.

Suddenly a car pulled up behind them.

"Whoa…that's a nice car." Honda said as they stopped.

"Great…it's the dork-fest again." Kaiba grumbled from behind the steering wheel. "What happened to Joey? Did baby need a nap?"

"That's not funny, Kaiba" Anzu said and glared at him.

"Oh no!" Mokuba yelled and ran behind the front of the car.

"What's your problem?" Kay asked.

Mokuba pointed down an alley, which is fully of rats with glowing red eyes, running towards them!

Anzu and Honda both shrieked like girls and Joey started to slide of Honda's back, but Kaiba caught him with one arm.  
"Get moving, geeks!" Kaiba ordered Anzu and Honda.

The two ran to a fire escape. They climbed up it.

Mokuba, Kay and Anzu hauled Joey's body over the railing and Honda and Kaiba leaped up and caught onto the railing, just as the rats got beneath them.

"I smell a rat…and his name's Dartz." Kaiba grumbled.

* * *

"As we speak, the most devastating creature that ever lived is waiting to rise again. All it needs now is your soul, and the Seal of Orichalcos will take care of that. I was already able to defeat you once, but you cheated me by switching places with someone else. Plus that girl jumped in. Don't even think about pulling a stunt like that again. I don't appreciate being lied to. And besides, there's no one for you to hide behind this time. Unless you plan on hiding behind the girl behind you." Rafael said.

"I've already made that mistake once, it's not happening again! Besides…I've already caused her enough pain as it is…" Yami growled.

Luna blinked and looked down, knowing what he meant.

"I accept your challenge! If it's the only way to save my friends. I'll duel. Once you're out of the way, I'm going straight for Dartz. It's just a shame that a duelist with your talents have to throw it all away by following a madman." Yami exclaimed.

"Dartz opened me up to the truth, and made me what I am today. You're just jealous because you don't have one of these." Rafael said and held up the Seal of Orichalcos card.

"You can't tempt me with that card again." Yami said.

"I wasn't planning on it." Rafael said and walked to him. "But you can have one last look at it as you shuffle my deck."

"I know what you're trying to do." Yami said as they shuffled each other's decks. "And it won't work. I won't give in to my dark side."

"We'll see about that." Rafael said.

"I must stay true to my heart, no matter what you try to do." Yami said.

Rafael returned to his side of the field and the duel started.

After a long while, Rafael smirked and played the Seal of Orichalcos card.

"No! Please don't!" Yami called to him, but it was too late.

Lightning flashed around them. "Your fate is sealed Pharaoh." Rafael said as the seal formed around the two. Rafael's eyes glowed red and the seal formed on his forehead.

The seal knocked Luna back.

"Luna!" Yami cried.

Luna struggled to her feet. "I-I'm fine! Don't worry about me."

* * *

Kaiba, Mokuba, Kay, Honda and Anzu finally made it to the Paradias building.

They spotted Mai lying by the elevator. "She lost her soul too." Kay said.

"Who's carrying her?" Honda asked.

"You're making a mistake!" Yami told Rafael.

Kaiba, Kay, Mokuba, Honda and Anzu finally made it to the roof and joined Luna.

"We're too late! That guy already played the Seal of Orichalcos!" Honda exclaimed.

"This changes everything." Yami muttered to himself. "What has he done?"

"This is the same guy who beat Yugi last time." Honda said.

Kaiba looked on, surprised.

"Now what?" Anzu asked.

"Yugi needs help! He's only got a thousand life points!" Mokuba said.

"He's won with way fewer life points." Honda pointed out.

Kaiba watched the duel, grimly.

"This is the duelist who beat the King of Games. This is Yugi's chance to win back his reputation and his championship status. So I can take it away." He thought to himself.

The duel raged on.

Yami got to see what happened to Young Rafael after he came back from the island.

Rafael fell to his knees.

"Do you understand what you've done? You turned your back on your monsters. Once they meant the world to you, but Dartz convinced you to abandon everything that was important to you. Dartz told you lies about your family and fueled your rage. And in a moment of weakness you left yourself be consumed by the dark magic of the Orichalcos. But I knew the real Rafael was still in there. And he knew what he had to do. Force you to face the darkness." Yami said.

"But there's still a problem. The Orichalcos needs a soul." Rafael said.

The duel continued.

Rafael lost the duel…but was finally free from the darkness.

He saw a vision of his family rise to the sky and fade away.

The Orichalcos stone around his neck cracked and disappeared. The Seal vanished.

He then fell to his knees.

Everyone ran to him.

"What happened to the seal? Doesn't it usually put on a big green laser show?" Anzu asked.

"It usually takes someone's soul…but I'm still here." Rafael said.

"I have a theory. The Seal of Orichalcos is powered by the darkness within the person who plays it. But Rafael was able to conquer that darkness, so his soul was spared." Yami said.

Suddenly, the building started to shake.

"Is it an earthquake?" Honda asked.

"I'm afraid it's much worse than that!" Yami said.

The whole building is shaking! Cracks started to appear on its walls.

"Pharaoh! You and the others need to get out while you can!" Rafael warned Yami.

Suddenly, the roof splits!

"It's too late!" Kay cried, staggering.

Then the elevator collapses. "There goes our ride down!" Anzu cried.

"MR. KAIBA!"

Everyone looked up to find of one Kaiba's helicopters flying overhead.

"We're saved!" Honda cried.

The helicopter landed on the helicopter pad one level above them.

Everyone rushed to it; Kaiba, Mokuba, Anzu and Honda with Joey went first.

Yami slowly made his way to the helicopter with the weakened Rafael. Luna helped Yami.

But before they reach the top, the staircase breaks loose.

Everyone called to them worriedly as the staircase began to fall away from the building.

As that happened, the helicopter pad itself split open.

Roland balanced wildly with one leg. He managed to jump back to one side.

"Mr. Kaiba! We have to leave now!" Roland cried.

Hearing this, Rafael pulled from Yami and Luna and heaved them up over the edge onto the helicopter pad as the stairway crumbles away.

Lucky for Rafael, he was able to hang onto the edge of the building as they last of the stairway fell.

Yami kneeled down. "I won't leave you!" He cried.

Rafael pulled something out of his pocket and threw it up to Yami.

"If you're planing to take out Dartz, you'll have to!" Rafael cried.

The pad started to collapse closer and closer to the helicopter.

"We have to go!" Roland cried as he jumped into the helicopter.

Kaiba jumped in as well and the helicopter rose as the pad crashed away beneath them.

Yami reached out to Rafael. "Take my hand!" He said.

"No! Go while you can!" Rafael ordered him and the edge he was clinging to broke off. He fell into the dust of rubble.

"RAFAEL!" Yami called.

The helicopter came around to Yami and Luna. It had a rear ramp open.

Anzu and Kay reached out to them.  
"JUMP!" They both cried.

Yami took a hold of Luna and jumped onto the ramp, moving to the inside.

The ramp closed and everyone watched the building collapse as the helicopter flew away.

When the building finally collapsed…it exposed another building…

"It looks like some sort of strange ancient temple." Kay said.

"My guess is that, that's what Paradias headquarters really looks like." Honda said.

"I think there's more to Dartz than meets the eye, as well." Yami said.

He looked down at the object that Rafael threw him and held it to Kaiba.

"Take a look at this. It's some sort of computer chip." Yami said.

Kaiba took it and slipped it into his PDA.

After a second, a map appeared on its screen.

"To where?" Mokuba asked as he looked at the screen.

"To Dartz's lair." Yami answered.

Kaiba tossed the PDA to Roland, who's still freaked out, telling him to follow the map.

Suddenly, another helicopter appears behind them…and then another!

They soon became surrounded!

"Wow…isn't this a lovely turn of events." Kay said sarcastically.

Mokuba looked out the window at one of them.

One of them gestured to them, pointing ahead.

"I think they want us to follow him." Mokuba said.

"It doesn't seem like we have much of a choice." Honda said.

The gang's helicopter went with the other helicopters.

* * *

Down in the city, the Hawkins' truck and motor home was speeding through the streets, Duke at the wheel. Rebecca sat beside him.

"Slow down!" She cried.

The truck then screeched to a stop.

"What's YOUR problem?" Rebecca asked Duke.

"See for yourself." Duke said, not turning to look at her.

She looked out the windshield and spotted an Orichalcos Soldier in the middle of the street!

"Step on it!" Rebecca cried.

Duke was about to…until more Soldiers appeared, surrounding them.

"Rebecca jumped out of the truck, activating her duel disk. "It's time for Plan B!" She said.

She was about to face off the Soldiers…but then stopped.

"Orichalcos Soldiers! Return to me!" Dartz cried from his temple.

The Soldiers that surrounded Rebecca and Duke suddenly dissolved into glowing streaks, which fly into the sky.

All over the world, the Soldiers flew home.

"We must begin the next phase of our battle." Dartz said.

* * *

At the base of Paradias building, Rafael emerged from the rubble with Mai in his arms. He looked quite battered.

* * *

The gang's helicopter flew over the ocean, toward an aircraft carrier.

After landing on the deck, everyone met with a uniformed officer.

"I tracked you down because I need your help dealing with a worldwide threat. We think our only hope may lie in a card game." The man said.

"You're right. Someone is using the game of Duel Monsters to wipe out the Earth." Yami said.

"Who better to stop this menace than the Duel Monsters experts?" The officer said.

"So you're asking us to do your job?" Kaiba asked.

"We've been following Dartz around for months. But he leaves no evidence behind. With no proof, we can't do a thing. Dartz is no ordinary criminal. With out you guys, we have nowhere else to turn." The officer explained.

The carrier they were on approached an island. The island was shrouded in darkness and lightning flashed around it.

"This is as far as I can go. From here on, you're on your own. I wish you good luck." The officer said. "You're doing a great service."

"I'm doing this to save my company." Kaiba said in a grumpy tone.

"That may be, but if you can beat Dartz at his own game, you'll be saving a lot more than your company." The officer said.

Everyone got back onto Kaiba's helicopter.

"Move out" Kaiba told Roland.

The helicopter powered up and they headed towards the island.

The helicopter bounced around in the storm.

Mokuba ended up getting thrown into Honda, knocking him to the floor clutching his crotch as his eyes watered.

(No…really…that's what really happened in the Japanese version. It wasn't his stomach, it was his crotch.)

Kaiba was seated at the side, using his lapel radio to tell his pilot that they should have been there by now.

"It's the weather, sir!" The Pilot told him. "We can't see a thing out here!"

"Before the Age of Atlantis is ushered in, the sea shall rise and the sky shall fall! Only then will paradise return." Dartz recited in his temple.

"Stay calm! Dartz wants us to reach him." Yami said.

Just then, the storm clouds parted and the island with its temple becomes visible to them.

"There's no turning back now." Yami said.

"Let's go." Kaiba said.

The helicopter landed in the island outside of the temple and they jumped out of the helicopter, heading towards the steps.

"We've arrived at the heart of evil." Yami said.

"Do you always have to be so dramatic?" Kaiba asked as they walked into the temple's main hall and into the altar room, with its three open-mouthed serpents.

"I'm not too fond of the snake motif." Anzu said.

Kaiba looked disgusted. "Can't you guys wait outside?" He grumbled.

"We all must stick together." Yami said.

Honda looked around and stopped when he saw the carvings of the captured souls in the wall.

"What's with all the people chiseled in stone?" He asked.

"They're not just any people!" Anzu said.

"There's Mai!" Luna said.

"And Weevil!" Yami said.

"This must be everyone who lost their soul!" Kay exclaimed.

Yami then spotted Yugi's soul and Cat's soul next to each other on the wall. He ran to them.

"Too bad your friends turned out to be a bunch of stiffs!"

A ball of flame appeared before them and it slowly turned into Dartz.

"Due to the carelessness of my employees, I'm the only one left." Dartz said.

"I want my company back!" Kaiba snapped at him. "So can the small talk!"

"We all want something. I want your souls for my wall. I even have a spot picked out." Dartz said with an evil grin.

Beside Yugi and Cat, two clear spots were ready for new souls.

"The party tricks don't scare me!" Kaiba said.

"Dartz! Release our friends!" Yami demanded.

"It's not possible. Their souls are already in use, supplying life energy to the most powerful beast that ever lived. My ten-thousand-year old collection is almost complete. Once I get the Pharaoh and Kaiba's soul, the beast can rise." Dartz said.

Yami reacted in an angry horrified way.

"If you have been collecting souls for all these years, how many lives have been destroyed?!" He cried.

"Millions." Dartz replied. "Look around!"

The floor and walls lit up, revealing the entire interior covered with soul plaques.

"Since it's taken me ten millennia to complete, it's quite the history lesson." Dartz said.

"Look! All their clothing…they're all from different places!" Kay pointed out.

"And from different times…" Luna added in.

"Ever since the Great Leviathan was laid to rest, I've been gathering the energy necessary to refuel its rebirth." Dartz explained.

"That's junk." Kaiba said.

"So then duel me. And I'll make a believer out of you, Kaiba." Dartz said.

Dartz walked towards them, a dark duel disk appeared on his arm.

"Fine. I accept! We should stop talking and start dueling!" Kaiba said, activating his duel disk.

"You can't duel Dartz alone! This lunatic is far too dangerous!" Yami told Kaiba.

"That's fine with me. I'll duel you together." Dartz said. "And get two souls for the price of one."

Yami activated his duel disk as well.

And the two males inserted their decks at the same time, ready to duel.


	49. Visions

"Don't worry…I'll save you both." Rafael said, putting Valon's soulless body in a jeep, while Mai's was already in the back.  
"Dartz is going to pay."

* * *

The duel had started.

"I'm not impressed. Those pathetic creatures might work in your little card tournaments, but I play a different game." Dartz said after Kaiba and Yami played their own monsters.

Lines of energy started to swirl around Dartz and he held his card up. "It was born of the darkness itself!" He said.

Suddenly, the torches lighting the temple room all go out, except for the two behind Dartz.

"Behold the power that will strip you of your souls! The Seal of Orichalcos!" Dartz said and played the card.

The seal formed around the three duelists.

Suddenly, Yami and Kaiba felt a tremor vibrating through them.

"Did you guys feel that?" Mokuba asked the others.

"If you mean the sudden drop in temperature and the freaky vibe in the air, then yes, I did." Honda said.

The duel went on some more.

"What are you trying to prove with all this?" Yami asked Dartz.

"That human beings spend every second of their lives surrounded by dark energy, which has contaminated our entire planet! At the core of everyone's heart, you'll find pure darkness. When a human being crosses paths with the Orichalcos, the evil inside is set free. Ten thousand years ago, I came into contact with this powerful force, and it opened my eyes!" Dartz said.

"It took over your mind!" Yami said.

"The Pharaoh shuts himself off from the truth, just as his people did so long ago." Dartz said.

Suddenly, they found themselves floating over an island city, standing on the Seal of Orichalcos.

"This is the legendary city of Atlantis as it was ten thousand years ago, when I ruled as king. And I will be king once again, for when I defeat you, Paradise shall return!" Dartz said. "Behold in all its glory! Just as it was ten thousand years ago, a perfect civilization, or so I thought. Surrounded by the ocean, we were isolated from the rest of the world."

Their view passed through the city, showing water gushing from a serpentine fountain, white buildings laid out in concentric rings around the island, a cart passing through a golden field with little fairies flitting by.

"Our lives were simple. Existing side-by-side with all of earth's creatures. We knew nothing of violence." Dartz said. "But then, that all changed."

The view suddenly changed into a volcano erupting and a beast shaped cloud swallowed the sun.

"Darkness descended upon us, and a strange substance rained down from the heavens." Dartz said.

The view then changed to glowing green stones landing in the streets and waters.

"The Orichalcos." Yami said.

"I hope that the story is over, I'd like to duel." Kaiba said.

"The tale of my past directly affects your future, so you'd better pay attention." Dartz said.

The vision then showed air vehicles flying through city streets.

"Thanks to the stones of the Orichalcos, the people of Atlantis made advancements in technology never before imagined. And soon, I ruled over the most highly advanced civilization the world had ever known. However, with progress comes greed, and eventually, violence. I knew what needed to be done, but my father, former King Ironheart, had different ideas." Dartz said.

"Ironheart was your father?" Yami asked. "But how?"

"If you ask questions, the story's never going to end!" Kaiba warned Yami.

"That old fool never had what it took to be king. And on my twenty-first birthday, he allowed me to take over." Dartz said. "As technology continued to advance, the hearts of my people continued to sink deeper into the darkness. It was up to me to remedy the situation. But then, the Orichalcos began to test us, and revealed the truth about who we were."

The vision then showed people turning into beasts. "Those who were wicked on the inside became wicked on the outside." Dartz said.

Dartz's queen, Lona, is seen, clutching her head and crying out in pain. Dartz ran to her, but she pushed him away as her hand turned gray and sprouted purple claws. She ran from the throne room, screaming, and Dartz ran after her, but when he reached her, she had already turned into a horrible creature, completely. With fangs, pointy ears and red eyes.

The beast attacked Dartz, and he drew his sword and killed it. Then the fountains' waters turned into the color of blood.

"The true colors of my people were revealed to me that day." Dartz said.

The vision changed again to Dartz, overlooking his city, wondering why this is happening. Then, the fountains behind him began to glow green.

"I couldn't understand why a perfect society like ours could crumble like this." Dartz said.

Back in the vision, Dartz walked into the fountain, where he found a chunk of Orichalcos stone and picked it up.

"Soon, the Orichalcos would answer all my questions. The people of Atlantis were evil, and I had been chosen to wipe them out and start over again." Dartz said.

Back in the vision, as Dartz stared into the stone, his right eye turned from gold to green.

"But I couldn't accomplish such a task on my own." Dartz continued. "So the Orichalcos gave me a gift, something powerful enough to lead my fight against mankind. Below the Earth's surface, lurked the most incredible creature that ever lived! The Great Leviathan! Soon that great beast would return to finish what it began! I was ready to begin my task of recreating the civilization on Earth, but one person stood in my way."

The vision showed Ironheart with Chris and Sky, the wolf.

"Dartz, you must destroy the Orichalcos stones so we can return to life we once knew." Ironheart said.

Dartz sat on his throne and laughed. "Do you really believe that we can go back to the way things were? It's too late for that! The true nature of our people has been exposed. We now know that the citizens of this planet are evil and must be destroyed. We should be thanking the Orichalcos for showing us the truth, not blaming it for the faults of mankind." Dartz said. "Not only has the Orichalcos shown me what's wrong with the world, its given me the tools to fix it."

He stood up and walked towards Ironheart.

"By the power of the Orichalcos, the Great Leviathan will rise up from the depths of the Earth and fight by my side. And when I'm though, I will rebuild civilization." Dartz and held a chunk of the Orichalcos stone and it started to glow, sending up a beam of light that turned into the Seal of Orichalcos.

Orichalcos soldiers then descended from it and surrounded Ironheart, Chris and Sky.

Chris ran to Ironheart, her grandfather.

"I'm scared." She whimpered.

Dartz laughed. "If you join my side, you have nothing to fear! If not, then farewell!" He said.

"We'll never join you!" Ironheart cried and ran from the throne room, taking Chris and Sky with him.

Dartz then went out onto a balcony and looked out over the city. There are Orichalcos Soldiers all over the city.

"The time has come to cleanse the world of its impurities! Conquer the people of Earth!" Dartz cried to the Soldiers and laughed.

Outside of the city, Ironheart lead Chris and a line of refugees through the rain into a cave in the side of a mountain.

"What will we do?" Chris asked.  
"Your father is under an evil force and he must be stopped. The future of the planet depends on it." Ironheart answered.

They continue through the cave and into a large cavern, where monsters are carved on the walls.

"We will ask them for help." Ironheart said.

Suddenly an aurora shone over the mountain and the three legendary Dragons rose from it.

"And so…the battle of Atlantis began. My father had opened a gateway to the dominion of the beasts, using them to form an army of his own." Dartz said.

The vision then showed Ironheart, Chris and Sky standing with an army of monsters against the Orichalcos Soldiers.

The Great Leviathan and another beast sent their blasts of energy against each other.

The light from the attacked blotted out the vision.

"What was the outcome of the battle?" Yami asked.

"Neither side was victorious. And Atlantis sunk to the bottom of the sea. My father's monster army was scattered around the world and sealed away until they'd be needed again. The Great Leviathan was drained of his power and was also sealed away. It's taken me ten thousand years to gather the energy to bring it back. All that's left for me to do is defeat you two in this duel and then your souls will awaken the Great Leviathan and my plan will finally come to pass!" Dartz said. "Let this duel continue!"

The room faded back to what it was.

A plane flew towards Dartz's island. As it flew over, a ramp opened up and Rafael drove out of the plane on his motorcycle, landing on the island and heading up the stairway to Dartz's temple.

A new ring formed around the outside of the Seal of Orichalcos.

"Welcome to the second level of darkness!" Dartz said with a grin.

"What do you mean by that?" Luna asked.

"The first benefit of Orichalcos Deuteros (Dartz's monster) is the addition of 500 points each turn for every monster I have on the field. Since I have two, I now get another 1000 points, bringing him up to 4500!" Dartz explained.

"How are we supposed to wipe that thing out?!" Kaiba exclaimed.

"You're not." Dartz simply said.

They dueled some more.

"I play a magic card called Orichalcos Mirror! I sacrifice a monster from my hand to summon Mirror Knight Calling!" Dartz announced.

Five knights appeared on the field to protect him.

"He summoned five monsters in one turn!" Kay exclaimed.

"You'll never get past my Mirror Knights, and thanks to Orichalcos Deuteros, I gain another 3000 points, raising him to 7500." Dartz said.

Each of the Mirror Knights had an attack of zero, raised to 500 from the Seal of Orichalcos.

"Pay close attention to the reflection in the mirrors the Knights are holding. Each mirror reflects someone or something on your side of the field, which determines their attack points." Dartz said.

One of the Mirror Knights reflected the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon that Kaiba had.

Another reflected Black Luster Soldier that Yami had.

"One from each of you. So their attacks become 4500, 3000, 500, 500, and 500." Dartz said.

They attacked and they destroyed their monsters.

"If the attack points are the same, Dartz's monsters should have been destroyed!" Honda said.

Then the mirror shattered as they attacked the other monsters.

"That card is protecting them." Mokuba said.

The mirrors then reformed in the Knight's hands.

"As long as I have my Mirror Knight Calling on the field, my Knight's shields will always return. So they can't be destroyed." Dartz explained.

"Hmph…is that so? The I use Ring of Destruction to destroy it!" Kaiba cried.

Both him and Dartz took 500 points of damage.


	50. Imprisoned Mirror Knights

"Now, when the Mirror Knights are destroyed, they can't come back." Kaiba said.

But then…the Mirror Knights' helmets crack and fall off.

Everyone gasped!

The Knights' identities were exposed!

It was Yugi, Cat, Joey, Mai and Pegasus!

"I control the souls of your companions. Attack my knights, and you'll be attacking your friends." Dartz said. "No matter what you do, you lose. It's impossible to defeat me without destroying these monsters. And you can't destroy my Knights without destroying the souls of your friends!"

Rafael continued to ride his motorcycle up the circular steps, towards the temple.

Outside the entrance, the Kaiba Corp. helicopter is still there and Roland stood beside it. He looked at his watch.

"So then…what do you think of my newest soldiers? With the captured souls of your friends!" Dartz said with a smirk and walked up to the soldiers. "Here we have the ol' chap, Pegasus." He put a hand on his shoulder and moved to Mai. "The darling, Ms. Valentine." He brushed her cheek with his hand and moved to Joey. "Your best friend, Joey." He patted Joey's back and moved to Yugi. "Your closest friend of them all, Yugi." He patted Yugi's head and moved to Cat.

"And I believe the Pharaoh's soft spot, Cat." He took Cat's chin in his hand with a smirk.

Yami glared at Dartz with rage. "Don't touch her!" He yelled.

Dartz smirked again. "Just as I was informed." He let go of Cat's chin and moved back to his spot.

"Drop the magic act and duel!" Kaiba snapped at Dartz.

"We are dueling. We're just doing it by my rules." Dartz replied. "Since I now control the souls of your former friends, I thought it would be fun to let them play along."

"You leave our friends alone!" Honda shouted.

Kay looked like she was about to kill Dartz. "You JERK! Let my Uncle and my friends GO!" She screamed at him.

"Leave them out of this!" Luna cried.

"Yeah!" Anzu agreed with everyone.

Dartz ignored their screams and shouts. "You should be thanking me for giving you one last chance to see the souls of your companions before they're gone forever." He said with a smile.

"I'll never let you take them away!" Yami snapped angrily.

"That's right, Pharaoh…let your rage and anger consume you and feel the darkness spread within you. The stronger your rage, the more powerful the Great Leviathan will be when it absorbs your soul." Dartz said. "Mirror Knight Yugi! Attack the Pharaoh!"

"Yugi! Fight it!" Yami cried to his friend.

Yugi struggled against raising his sword.

"It's touching that Yugi is still a loyal friend to you…even though you turned your back on him. That will soon change." Dartz said.

It was Kaiba's turn. He summoned the monster Kaiser Glider and commanded it to attack Knight #3, Mai.

Everyone gasped.

"Seto! Please stop!" Mokuba cried.

Yami was about to say something as well, but Kaiba cut him off.

"Be quiet! I'm not going to let some mind trick stop me from winning this duel! That lunatic seized control of my company and I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to get it back!" Kaiba snapped.

"Kaiba! Please, stop!" Yami pleaded.

"Dartz is just trying to stall us! And it won't work on me!" Kaiba said.

Yami frowned.

"What are we supposed to do? If we let Dartz win, our souls will be captured and the whole planet will suffer. But if we fight back…our friends will be lost forever." He thought to himself.

"Am I supposed to be afraid of attacking?" Kaiba asked Dartz.

Dartz shrugged. "Only if destroying an innocent soul disturbs you." He replied.

"As the president of a major corporation, I have to do that everyday!" Kaiba cried and continued his attack.

Mai's mirror shield was then destroyed. One more attack and she would be gone.

Then Kaiba ordered his Different Dimension Dragon to attack Mai. But as the smoke cleared, Joey was standing in front of Mai, his own shield destroyed in the attack.

Kaiba grumbled. "It figures Joey would mess things up."

Dartz laughed. "Well, well it seems that they are still loyal to one another! How sweet." He said.

"You know what you have to do. Crush Joey and Mai." Kaiba told Yami.

"But I can't endanger them." Yami thought to himself. He started to remember some of the things they went through. And finally, he remembered Cat and Yugi pushing him out of the Seal so their own souls would be taken instead.

"I refuse to put my friends in harm's way. I end my turn." Yami said.

"What?" Kaiba growled.

"If the Pharaoh doesn't attack, Dartz will win." Anzu said.

"Don't worry. The Pharaoh will think of something. He always does." Honda assured her.

"You had your chance." Dartz told Yami. He played a card that allowed him to summon a monster.

Then he explained that he had to choose two monsters on each side of the field. Then his Centaur will randomly remove one of them from the game. He chose Kaiba's Kaiser Glider and Mirror Knight Joey.

"If the arrow chooses Joey, then we'll never get him back!" Honda exclaimed.

Dartz snapped his fingers and the arrow destroyed Kaiba's monster. The loss caused him to lose 2400 life points. Putting his life points down to 600.

"There's an up side to this card. It requires that I end my turn now." Dartz said.

Kaiba ordered his Different Dimension Dragon to attack Joey. "That second-rate chump has held me back for the last time!" Kaiba said.

But this time, Yugi jumped in front of Joey, sacrificing his mirror shield to save Joey.

Dartz laughed again. "Maybe friendship DOES conquer all! And thanks to their friends' loyalty to one another, I will be able to conquer you two!" He said.

Rafael finally reached the temple. He sped past Roland, scaring the poor guy who yells at him as he zoomed up the temple steps.

It was all up to Yami now.  
"If you want to win this duel, you're going to have to attack those Mirror Knights." Kaiba warned him.

"But…I can't turn my back on Yugi or Cat again." Yami whispered to himself.

"You have to attack. It's the only way." Yugi said.

Everyone looked at Yugi, astonished!

"If you don't attack, you'll lose." Yugi said.

"That's right…We'll be fine." Cat added in.

"But if any of you are attacked, your souls might be lost forever!" Yami protested.

"Trust us." Yugi and Cat both said.

"This is ridiculous. Do you realize you're talking to a hologram with your friend's head on it?" Kaiba asked Yami.

"You're clueless." Yami growled.

"Get going Pharaoh! Everyone is waiting!" Dartz said.

Yami ended his turn and Kaiba didn't look pleased.

Dartz laughed. "There's nothing either of you can do to stop me!" He cried.

Just then, Rafael drove into the hall with his motorcycle and confronted Dartz.

"You don't look happy to se me. Where's the love? Don't' answer that. I've heard enough of your lies. The Pharaoh opened me up to the truth! Thanks to him, I was able to escape the Seal of Orichalcos with my soul intact. Unlike the souls in the Mirror Knights and everyone else you have used! Now I demand you to set them all free!" Rafael said angrily.

"Hmph, it looks like the Orichalcos took what was left of your brain. You're more gullible than ever. Do you honestly think that the darkness that once controlled you is gone?" Dartz asked.

"Yes, the Pharaoh set me free." Rafael replied.

"Did he?" Dartz asked. "Or did he just trick you the way you think I did. Look around you. You're no different from anyone else. All of these people gave into their dark side, and were taken by the Seal of Orichalcos. They're evil just like all humans, which is why I was chosen to wipe them out. You're no different. You can't just walk away from darkness. It's a part of who you are. That's why I hired you. Your rage made you a perfect candidate to carry out my plan."

"I'm through with being angry with the world. The Pharaoh and his friends reminded me what loyalty and trust was all about. I used to be like them before you came into my life and poisoned me with the Orichalcos." Rafael said.

Dartz laughed. "The Orichalcos didn't poison your mind, it exposed who you truly are on the inside. A corrupt human being full of anger, just like everyone else in this room." He said.

"And what does that make you?" Kay asked in an annoyed tone.

"I'm a pioneer, chosen by the Orichalcos to carve out a new world. And my task is nearly done. Soon I'll have enough power to awaken the Great Leviathan and rebuild civilization. For ten thousand years I've been gathering souls to amass enough energy to awaken the Great beast. But time was running out and I needed help." Dartz explained.

"So you found me and the others." Rafael added in.

"I required three subordinates to carry out my plan and they needed to be filled with enough anger to tap the full power of the Orichalcos. And they needed to hate the people of this world as much as I do. As soon as I encountered you, Valon and Amelda, I knew I had found exactly what I've been searching for. But it was necessary to influence certain events in your lives." Dartz said. "Starting with Amelda, his family was captured by Gozaburo Kaiba's tanks during his effort to take over their township."

"Is that true?" Anzu asked Mokuba.

"Unfortunately, it is." Mokuba replied.

"But…Kaiba's father didn't do a thing…it was me all along, pretending to be Gozaburo." Dartz said.

Kaiba and Rafael reacted in shock.

"Next is Valon. He practically grew up in a juvenile detention center, thanks again to me. I framed Valon for his first crime at the age of nine. And of course, there's you Rafael. It wasn't the captain of the cruise ship that took your ship into that typhoon. It was me who led the ship astray." Dartz said.

Rafael looked horrified. "WHY!?" He demanded.

"I watched you master Duel Monsters at a young age. But I needed to unlock your inner fury. It was the only way to make sure you were strong enough. After all…I had the three Legendary Dragons to contend with. And frankly, your life was just too perfect. So I made some adjustments." Dartz answered.

"Don't listen to Dartz." Yami warned Rafael.

Rafael looked furious. "Everything is your fault! You took me from my family!" He roared at him.

"I needed your agony and your thirst for revenge." Dartz said.

Rafael screamed in rage, activating his duel disk. Guardian Eatos rose from behind him and the Seal of Orichalcos appeared on Rafael's forehead.

Dartz laughed as the seal formed around Rafael.

"It's the seal!" Luna gasped.

"But I didn't see anyone play that card!" Anzu cried.

The seal also appeared on Eatos' forehead and her sword glowed.

"Rafael! Control your anger!" Yami cried.

"The Orichalcos lives within him and can never be extinguished. There's no turning back now." Dartz said.

Eatos' sword suddenly blasted forth streams of energy and Rafael screamed as the Seal shrunk around him…then it disappeared. Rafael fell to the ground, his soul captured by the seal.


	51. Soulless Kaiba

Luna, Kay, Honda, Mokuba and Anzu ran to his fallen body as his form appeared on one of the stone carvings.

"Another soul, another step closer to awakening the great beast." Dartz said, laughing.

"This ends now!" Yami yelled at Dartz.

"You're right." Dartz said and drew a card. "Once I play this card, you and Kaiba's fate will be sealed. The Seal of Orichalcos is about to become even stronger. It's time to experience the third level of darkness!" He played the card and a third layer formed around the seal.

"How could the seal possibly get any stronger?" Yami asked.

"You're dealing with a force greater than the darkest shadows. And older than time itself." Dartz answered.

And due to the effect of the card, Dartz's life points shot up to 18,500!

"His life points are out of control!" Kay cried.

The duel continued on.

Dartz attacked Yami with the Mirror Knights, and he had no monsters on the field to protect him.

"Because of the third Seal of Orichalcos, the Mirror Knights cannot defy me." Dartz said.

Yami then got struck by Yugi, then Cat, then Mai, and then Joey.

"How does it feel now that they're on my side?" Dartz asked Yami.

Yami grimaced in pain.

Finally, Mirror Knight Pegasus attacked.

Yami raised his duel disk as a shield to intercept Pegasus's sword…but then…Pegasus paused before him.

Yami became surprised when Pegasus leaned in and spoke. "Please tell me that you still have that card I gave to you. That card unlocks the secret of the Legendary Dragons."

"Attack, you fool!" Dartz shouted at Pegasus, and Pegasus did so.

Everyone watched Yami as he was sent to his knees by the attack.

"Get up!" Kaiba ordered Yami.

Yami struggled to his feet. "I'm fine…thanks for asking." Yami said to Kaiba sarcastically.

After a moment, Kaiba was able to summon Critius.

"If I know your gaming strategies as well as I think I do, your face down card is Mirror Force." Kaiba said to Yami.

"That it is." Yami agreed.

Kaiba revealed Yami's trap card and merged Critius with it to form Mirror Force Dragon.

"What do you plan on attacking?" Yami asked.

"You know as well as I do that there's no way we can win with those Mirror Knights on the field." Kaiba said.

"No!" Yami said to him.

"They're just holograms! Dartz made them look like your friends so you'd be afraid to attack! But I'm not!" Kaiba insisted.

He then ordered Mirror Force Dragon to attack Pegasus.

"Why did Kaiba attack the one Knight who still has his mirror shield?" Honda asked.

"Seto wanted the Knight to reflect his attack." Mokuba said.

"I now activate my dragon's special ability! It will absorb the reflected attack and it will be sent back, destroying all five Mirror Knights!" Kaiba said.

"Don't do it!" Yami cried.

"If the five Knights are destroyed…does that mean their souls will be lost forever?" Luna asked.

"We're about to find out." Dartz said.

"I'm not as gullible as the rest of these dorks. You can't fool me with a couple of reprogrammed holograms. I invented this technology." Kaiba said.

Kaiba then ordered his Dragon to go ahead.

Yami tried to step in.

"Relax." Kaiba simply said.

"Yugi! Cat!" Yami cried.

Yugi smiled. "Don't worry about us." He said.

Cat smiled also. "We'll be fine." She said.

Pegasus grinned at Kaiba. "Kaiba-boy, thanks!" He said in a silly happy tone.

And now…all the Mirror Knights are destroyed.

Yami sighed. "At least our friends are safe." He said.

"Dartz has no monsters to protect him." Kaiba said.

The duel continued.

And a problem occurred.

Kaiba's life points ran out!

"Kaiba! Hold on!" Yami cried.

Mokuba and Kay ran to the seal, not able to pass through. "Kaiba!" Kay cried.

"Don't screw up. I fought too hard, so you can't lose this. Now win!" Kaiba said.

"I promise I will." Yami said.

Then the seal contracted around Kaiba and soul flashed out, darting around the room and hitting one of the blank carvings on the wall, where his form appeared.

Dartz laughed. "You're the "soul" survivor!" He said.

"You disgust me." Yami growled at Dartz.

"I have what I need, so you can have the rest of him." Dartz said.

Just then Kaiba's soulless body was tossed out of the Seal, landing on the floor beside the gang.

Mokuba kneeled down to his side, weeping and begging his brother to open his eyes.

Kay kneeled down, tears in her eyes as she tried to comfort Mokuba.

"You're talking to an empty shell. Your bother has donated his life force to the Great Beast." Dartz said to Mokuba.


	52. The Three Legendary Knights

Still weeping, Mokuba glared at Dartz. "Give him back!" Mokuba shouted.

Dartz ignored Mokuba's demand.

The temple began to shake and pieces from the ceiling started to fall.

"What's going on?" Yami asked.

Outside of the temple, Roland and the pilot wonder what's going on as well as the island shook.

A great darkness then started to engulf the entire Earth.

Lighting started to flash.

Even in the desert, where Duke, Rebecca and Professor Hawkins were.

They were standing in the road beside the motor home.

And then…under the ocean…the Great Leviathan roared.

"Did you hear that?" Dartz asked. "Due to Kaiba's generous donation, the Great Leviathan is almost ready."

"Tell your lizard to spit out my brother!" Mokuba snapped at Dartz.

"Silence!" Dartz snapped at Mokuba.

Behind him, an eye appeared in the Seal and waves of force flew from it, knocking everyone back, becoming unconscious on the floor.

"Everyone!" Yami cried as Dartz laughed.

"You're all alone now." Dartz said. "But don't worry. Your friends are fine. I don't need weak souls. I just wanted to spend some quality time with you, one on one."

"I don't appreciate it." Yami growled.

"You and I met five thousand years ago, when you were the King of Egypt." Dartz continued. "When the Battle of Atlantis ended, I thought the Great Leviathan was gone forever…until I met you."

"What does that evil creature have to do with me?" Yami asked.

Suddenly, Dartz created a vision again, and they were hovering above an ancient Egyptian city on the Seal of Orichalcos.

"It's the palace of the Pharaoh in the year three thousand, BC." Dartz explained as they went inside of the palace.

Yami spotted himself with the priest that looked like Kaiba!

They were facing a huge serpentine, winged monster.

The priest stepped forward. "Pharaoh! Allow me to vanquish this intruder!" He said.

"No…I'll deal with it." The Pharaoh form of Yami said and summoned Obelisk the Tormentor.

The Egyptian God rose and attacked the serpentine with its Fist of Fury.

"Why are we watching this?" Yami asked.

"It was on this very day that I first realized that the Great Leviathan would rise again, all because of you and the magic you weaved. Once Atlantis was destroyed and the Great Leviathan was laid to rest, I was forced to wander the world and wait. I couldn't destroy the world on my own. I needed power. That's where you come in." Dartz said.

The vision then showed the winged monster fleeing the palace with the Pharaoh following him on horseback and Slifer the Sky Dragon following him.

Everyone scattered as the Pharaoh rode through the streets and one of them was Dartz, who watched the Pharaoh with interest.

"I sensed immediately that your life energy was exactly what I needed. But the time wasn't right, so I continued to wait." Dartz said.

"Why didn't you confront me back then?" Yami asked.

"There was another individual threatening to destroy the planet at that time. And he was in my way." Dartz said.

The vision then showed the Egyptian city smoldering in ruins. "I knew that my day would come…and it did." Dartz continued.

The vision then went to present day…to Yugi's bedroom where he sat at his desk, putting the Millennium Puzzle together.

"Five thousand years later, a naïve young man unlocked the dark magic, and brought the return of the Shadow Games. And the rebirth of you and your rivals, Kaiba and Bakura." Dartz said.

"So that's why you've been targeting my friends." Yami said.

"That's right. Never before have I encountered such a powerful group of souls." Dartz grinned.

"You're sick!" Yami sneered.

"It was you who ushered in the age of the Shadow Games five thousand years ago, and nearly wiped out your whole kingdom." Dartz said.

"That's a lie!" Yami growled.

"But I saw it all. The way you conjured up creatures to do your bidding. You're evil and there's no denying it. And soon you'll get what you deserve, when I feed your soul to the Great Leviathan and complete the plan I started centuries ago!" Dartz said. "Do you know why you were sent here? It was no fluke. Five thousand-year-old spirits don't suddenly return for no reason. Fate brought you back so I could save the world by offering your power to the Great Leviathan!"

* * *

Meanwhile…in some otherworldly place, bubble floated through space, each with a person trapped inside.

Joey was in one of them.

His eyes slowly opened and he looked around. "I've had some weird dreams, but this one take the cake!" He cried and looked around some more before he spotted a great eye in the distance, where the bubbles seemed to be floating towards.

"Hold on! I remember being trapped in a duel…but how did I end up floating around in here?" He asked himself.

"Joey!"

Joey looked over and spotted Yugi in another bubble nearby.

"Long time no see! I'm glad you're alright!" Yugi said with a smile.

"Do you call this alright?" Joey asked. "If we don't escape soon, we never will! Now…where are we?"

Then he stopped and noticed other duelists trapped in other nearby bubbles. There was Valon, Amelda and Mai. Then Rafael, Kaiba and Cat!

"Everyone here has had his soul captured. This must be where the Orichalcos spits you out after you lose a duel!" Joey cried and freaked out.

"C-calm down! M-maybe this is all just a dream!" He tried to calm himself down.

Cat was awake and nearby Joey. "I'm afraid this is no dream." She said.

Joey tried to call out to the other duelists, but then he started to cough. "Whoa…why can't I exert any force?" He asked.

"It's the eye…it's using up everyone's energy." Yugi explained.

"And things are about to get worse." Cat said worriedly.

Up ahead, the bubbles were getting sucked into the eye.

"That's the Great Leviathan. It's using souls for power." Pegasus said as he sat in a bubble nearby.

"AWW! I DON'T WANT TO BE TURNED INTO SOUL FOOD!" Joey cried.

"We can still get out of this mess if the Pharaoh defeats Dartz." Yugi said.

"But how is he going to do that? Rich Boy's with us now…that means da Pharaoh is facing Dartz alone now!" Joey said.

"Kaiba may have been knocked out of the fight, but the Pharaoh's not alone. He's still got all of us." Yugi said.

"We may not be right beside him…" Cat started.

"But that's never stopped us before!" Yugi finished.

"I wonder if that will work this time. Dartz is playing by a whole new set of rules, and nothing can take down that Orichalcos card." Joey wondered.

"There is one thing that can help…that card I gave him. It can beat Dartz. It was during a trip to Egypt that I was inspired to create Duel Monsters. After I made an astonishing discovery; ancient kings and sorcerers once performed dark rituals to conjure real monsters. These creatures were believed to have lived in a universe parallel to ours, and guarding the gateway to this dominion of the beasts were three Legendary Dragons; Timaeus, Critius, and Hermos. These dragons weren't what they appeared to be. They were buried with a dark secret, so I created a card that unlocked the mystery." Pegasus explained.

"What's the secret?" Cat asked.

"I spent many years scouring the globe trying to find out. First, I searched the microscopic world, then I scanned the vast reaches of the entire universe. But other than one stone tablet buried in the sands of Egypt, there was no record of the existence of these dragons. Then it dawned on him. What if these dragons weren't dragons at all? What if they're humans?" Pegasus said. "During the battle of Atlantis, Dartz transformed three brave knights into dragons in order to weaken them. Now, the Pharaoh must restore them to their original form, before the trapped souls disappear forever!" Pegasus excalimed.

* * *

"Don't you see what's happening here? The Orichalcos has corrupted your mind! It's been filling your head with lies for over ten thousand years!" Yami cried.

Dartz only laughed.

"You've been lying to the world for almost as long, trying to convince everyone that fate sent you here to protect the world from evil. In fact, your heart is filled with evil, the same evil you claim to be fighting. You represent the darkness inside all humans. For that, they all must be punished. Today, history repeats itself, and the Battle of Atlantis shall begin again." He said.

"I won't let you begin another war!" Yami said.

"But it's already begun." Dartz said.

"If that's the case, I'll end it here and now!" Yami said.

They dueled more. (I know writing this is lame, but I REALLY don't want to write out the whole duel! . Wayyyy too long!)

"What's the point? Look around Pharaoh. You're all alone. Your friends aren't able to support you and the score's not exactly in your favor. So why drag out the torment when all you have to do is forfeit, and you can join your friends on the other side." Dartz said.

"Maybe…he's right. He has 20,000 life points and three indestructible monsters. Maybe I can do more for my friends by surrendering and allowing the Orichalcos to take me where they are." Yami thought to himself.

"Go on! Give up! Your friends are lost without you! Don't you want to be by their side?" Dartz asked. "Declare defeat and you will be set free to see your friends one last time before the rise of the Beast. It's time for you to accept your true destiny. You've returned to Earth to pay for the wrongs you once committed." Dartz said.

Yami's eyes started to glow green.

"In order to compensate for the past, you must join him in ushering in the age of the future and surrender your spirit." Dartz said.

Yami stared at his duel disk. "I must…surrender my soul." He said. "It's fate." He lifted his hand to place it over his deck.

"Yes…listen to the voice of reason inside your head." Dartz urged him on.

Yami's eyes continued to glow green as he reached a trembling hand towards his deck.

He then remembered Kaiba using his trap card to give Yami's dragon's attack points before being taken by the Orichalcos.

He remembered Joey telling him that he would be right by his side.

And he remembered Yugi and Cat pushing him out of the Orichalcos Seal to take them instead.

Then he remembered Kaiba, Joey, Yugi and Cat falling into the Orichalcos.

Yami then saw himself floating naked under water.

(-ahem This really happened in the Japanese version.-

Fangirls: squeal!

Me: o.O; Er…yeah. You know nothings showing right?

Fangirls: shrug

Me: Yeah that's what I though. Nevermind then.)

The Millennium Puzzle turned transparent. Yami then saw his friends floating towards the surface past him.

"I_'m nothing…I have nothing…nothing is left._" He thought to himself as he sunk deeper into the water.

Yami's hand wavered over his deck.

"The time has come." Dartz said. "Sacred Seal! Encircle the Pharaoh!"

The seal then shrunk around Yami who still sees himself as if he's sinking underwater.

His tears then fell onto the Millennium Puzzle and it glowed.

A column of golden light formed around Yami and when the Seal reached it, it got repelled!

Dartz gasped in shock as the Seal expanded around the duel once again.

"Impossible!" He exclaimed. "No one can overcome the power of the Orichalcos!"

Yami stood in the column of golden light and around him the images of his friends appear:

Yugi, Cat, Joey, Kaiba, Honda, Mai, Anzu, Valon, Chris, Amelda, Duke, and Ironheart.

"Why didn't the Seal take you soul?!" Dartz demanded to know.

The images of Yami's friends all disappeared into the golden column. Yami's tears fell onto his hand.

"You forced me to gaze inside my heart, thinking I would only find darkness. But you were wrong! My heart is filled with the light of friendship and no magic can take that away!" Yami said. "Thank you for reminding me that my friends are always with me, and we're going to win this fight."

Yami drew a card and the golden column of light disappeared. With his arm still outreached, holding the card, Yami gasped.

It was the card Pegasus gave him! He could sense it.

"Dartz! Do you know what's in my hand? It's the key to unlocking the secret of the Legendary Dragons." Yami said and held up the card. But it wasn't blank anymore…there was an image on it of three dragons and three swords.

"Legend of Heart!" Yami cried and played it. "By paying 1000 life points and sacrificing my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, this lets me summon Critius, Hermos and Timaeus in their true form!"

The three dragons appeared and flew up into the clouds.

"After ten millennia in captivity, they've finally be set free!" A voice said.

Both Yami and Dartz looked up in amazement as lightning flashed and three knights appeared on the field. They looked a lot like Kaiba, Yami and Joey. The green knight, Timaeus has a scar across his right eye where he was once stabbed by Dartz.

He pulled out his sword and announced his name.

The blue Knight said he was Sir Critius and the red knight is Sir Hermos.

They each had 2800 points and they crossed their swords, saying: "In the name of Atlantis, we have been reborn!"


	53. Freedom of the Chosen Duelists

The Three Legendary Knights then struck the ground with their swords and the three layers of the Seal of Orichalcos were destroyed.

"The Seal is powerless in our presence." Hermos said.

"Did you forget our last encounter, Dartz?" Critius asked.

"I certainly haven't." Timaeus said, indicating to the scare on his eye. "I have a score to settle with you Dartz."

After an attack, it was Dartz's turn.

He ordered Shunoros, one of his monsters, to attack Critius, but Yami stopped him.

"Your attack won't work! Due to Critius' special ability, I can bring back one trap card, and I choose Mirror Force!" He said.

Mirror Force was then sucked into Critius' sword and he reflected Shunoros' attack back on Dartz's monsters.

Dartz watched in horror as his monsters were destroyed and his life points went down to 14,100.

But as the smoke cleared, Dartz smiled.

"That was an excellent move, but Shunoros has a special ability as well." Dartz said as Shunoros cracked and fell to pieces, bursting into flames.

Just then a vortex appeared above the duel and a huge serpent came out.

"As soon as Shunoros was vanquished, my Divine Serpent was born! But there's a price to pay. I must discard my entire hand and give up every one of my life points" Dartz said.

"But then that means you lose." Yami said.

"Yes…under normal circumstances. But as long as I have my Divine Serpent is on the field, I remain in the game. But if it's destroyed, you win." Dartz said. "However…the Divine Serpent has an attack of Infinity! Which means there's not a monster in your deck that can stand up to it! And once it strikes your knight, your soul is mine!"

Yami stared at his deck then drew, drawing the Dark Magician Girl.

He remembered her telling him that both of their worlds are in great danger and he was their only hope. "I made her a promise…and I won't go back on my word!" Yami said and set a card face down and ended his turn.

Dartz then drew and discarded ten cards from his deck so his Divine Serpent could attack.

The Divine Serpent destroyed Timaeus and Yami's life points went to zero!

The Seal then reappeared on the field and shrunk around Yami.

"The duel is over." Dartz said.

But then the Seal broke apart and disappeared. As the smoke from the Serpent's attack cleared, Dark Magician Girl appeared on Yami's side of the field.

"How did you survive?" Dartz asked, shocked.

"I activated my trap card, Relay Soul, which allows me to stay in the game when my life points reach zero, by summoning Dark Magician Girl and putting my fate in her hands. Now we're in the same situation. We each have one monster. You have your Divine Serpent and I have Dark Magician Girl. And when that monster is destroyed, the card holder will lose." Yami said and Dark Magician Girl went into defense.

"You may have altered the rules of our battle, but your chances of victory are just as slim." Dartz said.

"I have the spirits of my friends to support me. But you're alone." Yami said.

"I have more power than you or your friends, and I'll prove it by playing this card! The magic card, Impact Revive, bringing back a monster that was destroyed this turn with extra 500 attack points! And I bring back Timaeus!" Dartz said.

"Why would you bring back my card?" Yami asked.

"I wanted to prove how powerless you really are. Impact Revive also lets my monster attack one more time." Dartz said. He discarded ten more cards and ordered Divine Serpent to attack!

"Your soul is mine!" Dartz said.

The serpent approached the Dark Magician Girl.

"I activate Hermos' special effect! Sword of Renewal, allowing Hermos to absorb the effect of a monster from my graveyard." Yami said.

Hermos took the effect of Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, which keeps him from being destroyed by any monster with 1900 or more attack points.

Hermos then intercepted the Divine Serpent's attack.

Then, all three of the Legendary Knights stood together.

"We vow to protect the Pharaoh!" They all said and Divine Serpent's attack failed.

Yami drew. "So much for infinite strength. Attack points don't mean everything." Yami said.

Dartz laughed. "So you dodged one blast! You think you're king of the world now?" He cried.

Yami closed his eyes and the images of all his companions surrounded him.

"It's my last chance to win this duel and free the souls of my friends." He thought to himself.

"Critius and Hermos! Attack the Divine Serpent!" Yami commanded.

Critius attacked with his sword of wisdom and Hermos used his Sword of Renewal.

"They're too weak." Dartz said.

"Are you sure?" Yami asked. "Take a look."

The two Knights were still attacking.

"I don't understand! Why weren't they destroyed the moment they came in contact with the Serpent?!" Dartz cried.

"Each of my Knights have a hidden power." Yami reminded Dartz. "Critius! Absorb the power of the trap card, Attack Guidance Barrier! This allows him to transfer his attack to any other monster on the field, so the new target of his Sword of Wisdom will be Hermos. Now I activate Hermos' special effect, by sacrificing three of my Magnet Warriors so he can triple the attack and send it back to Critius! Now the two Legendary Knights are reflecting the attack back and forth, strengthening it each time until it reaches infinity! But I'm not done yet; I have one more Knight left. I use Timaeus' special ability so he can merge together with Hermos and Critius! Now there's a force that's beyond infinity! The Knight of Destiny!"

"It's impossible!" Dartz cried.

"See for yourself! Knight of Destiny! Attack with Sword of Justice!" Yami ordered and the Knight slashed the Divine Serpent.

Just then, an opening appeared, leading to the space where the souls are floating in their bubbles.

"Hey! That could be a way out!" Joey said.

The Divine Serpent was then consumed in flames.

"Your ten thousand year quest is over." Yami said.

"I've come too close! All I need is one more powerful soul, and the Great Leviathan will rise from the depths of the earth!" Dartz cried.

Beneath the sea, the Leviathan thrashed around while the Divine Serpent writhes in flames.

"It's a little too late." Yami said. "Your Serpent has been destroyed."

The Serpent then disappeared, but the rend in space made by the Knight of Destiny remained over the duel.

The Knight of Destiny disappears as the duel ends and the three Legendary Knight return.

"Now! Release the souls of my friends and all the others you've captured!" Yami demanded.

Dartz growled in frustration and the temple started to shake.

And suddenly, the Great Leviathan appeared behind Dartz, snapping him up in its jaws and disappearing again.

* * *

Outside, a green light beamed from the temple's dome and up into the clouds.

"I hope Mr. Kaiba is alright in there." Roland said.

"I hope you and I are alright out here!" The Pilot added in.

Then, green light emerged from a whirlpool in the sea next to Dartz's island.

"It's a cyclone!" Roland exclaimed.

All over the world, dark clouds form.

A voice on the radio is heard, telling the aircraft carrier that a massive storm has been reported to be spreading across the globe! The ship is then ordered to go to yellow alert and remain in position.

* * *

Suddenly, Joey, Kaiba, Yugi and Cat's bubbles shot towards the opening in space.

"The Chosen Duelists are released." A voice said.

"Hey! There are other people in here too!" Pegasus complained as he watched them go.

* * *

Back in the temple, the three Legendary Knights hold up their hands.

"Chosen Duelists! Cross into the human world!" Timaeus said.

Four balls of light enter through the opening.

One landed in Yami's hands. "Yugi!" He cried.

One was absorbed into Kaiba's unconscious form and the other one flies outside and into the helicopter where it found Joey's body lying on a bench and melts into his chest.

The last one flew to Luna and melted into her chest as well.

The three Knights nodded to Yami and then disappeared.

Yami released the ball of light and closed his eyes as it absorbed into him.

Kaiba opened his eyes and sat up, spotting Mokuba and Kay lying unconscious beside him.

He shook them both by the shoulder. "Wake up!" He said.

Mokuba and Kay then both slowly opened their eyes and sat up.

"Seto!" Mokuba cried with tears in his eyes and hugged his brother's arm.

"Kaiba! You're back! Don't scare me like that again you jerk!" Kay said with tears in her eyes and a small smile.

Cat stirred a little and slowly sat up and then gasped.

"Wha…? I-I'm…back in my body! B-but I wasn't a chosen duelist! Why did they bring me back?" She asked herself.

"You promised the Dark Magician Girl that you would help the Chosen Duelists. So in a way you are a chosen duelist." A familiar voice said.

Cat looked around. "Who said that?" She asked.

"You can't see me…but it's me…Luna." The voice answered.

"Luna! Thank you for taking care of the Pharaoh." Cat said with a smile. "When I last talked to him, he was so depressed. Thanks for helping everyone cheer him up."

"You're welcome…but…I don't think most of it was me." She said.

Honda then woke up and noticed that Kaiba was back. "Anzu!" He said, shaking Anzu.

Anzu sat up, rubbing head. "Where are we?" She asked.

Yami stood with his back to everyone, watching a vortex of light that appeared where Dartz disappeared.

Anzu got up and walked to him. "Is that Yugi?" Anzu asked.

"No…it's the Pharaoh." Honda answered.

"I…don't think so." Anzu said. "I think he's back!"

Then…He turned to look at them. It was Yugi!

Anzu started to cry and ran up to him and hugged him. "It's so good to see you again!" She cried.

"Uh…it's good to see you too." Yugi said with a small smile.

Joey then ran in. "Everyone get outta my way! Where's my little buddy?" Joey asked and ran up to Yugi and hugged his head. "Man! I sure missed this spiky little head!"

Anzu laughed. "Everyone's back." She said.

Honda joined the hug. "Don't forget me!" He said.

Yami appeared in spirit formed and greeted Yugi. "The Legendary Knights set you free." He said.

"Does that mean you beat Dartz?" Yugi asked.

"I did. But as soon as the duel ended, Dartz disappeared into a vortex and I have a bad feeling the worst is yet to come. But at least we'll face it together." Yami said.

"If these guys were set free, I would guess that everyone else Dartz captured was set free as well!' Mokuba said.

"Guess again." Joey said, pointing to Rafael who was still lying there, soulless. "All da other people are still trapped."

Cat finally got up. "Then Dartz didn't uphold his end of the deal." She said.

Roland then ran in. "Mr. Kaiba! Come outside!" He cried and everyone followed him out.

They all saw something huge rising out of the sea and a green beam shooting up out of it.

"It's Atlantis!" Kay cried.

The island city rose from the water and continued to rise into the air.

"Are you sure it's Atlantis?" Honda asked.

"It's a big ancient city-looking thing rising up out of the ocean. That fits the bill." Joey said.

"That must mean Dartz is still out there!" Yugi said.

"Could he have woken up Leviathan?" Joey asked.

Meanwhile, a radio operator aboard the aircraft carrier said that an underwater disturbance has triggered a hurricane over six thousand miles in diameter that's headed for the Atlantic coastline! It will reach land in approximately one hour!

"I don't know what the deal is, but I'm going up there to find out!" Kaiba said.

"Tell us all about it when you get back!" Honda said.

"I'm going too." Yugi said.

"Not there!" Joey cried.

"But how?" Honda asked.

"Maybe you can go by helicopter." Mokuba said.

"You're all nuts!" Honda exclaimed.

"You just got back and now you're going to walk into Dartz's hands again?" Anzu protested. "Walk away while you have the chance!"

"There are still people trapped on the other side who are counting on us." Yugi said.

"Well…you're…right." Anzu reluctantly agreed.

"It's alright. I promise we'll be back soon." Yugi said.

Roland listened to a report from the helicopter. "A massive hurricane is headed for the East Coast!" He cried.

"I'm going up to find Dartz." Kaiba said and turned to go back into the temple.

"Wait up!" Yugi called.

"I'm perfectly capable of handling this on my own." Kaiba said.

Joey then pushed Rafael onto Honda and ran after Kaiba. "Don't think you're getting all the credit for this!" Joey called.

"Don't you have someone else to annoy?" Kaiba asked him.

"Nope." Joey simply said.

Cat got up as well and followed them. Yugi followed as well.

"Wait!" Anzu cried to him.

Yugi stopped and looked at her. "You want to say Good Luck to the Pharaoh, right?" He asked.

"Actually...I wanted to say Good Luck to you. Now go kick some Dartz butt!" Anzu said.

Yugi nodded and continues to follow the other three.


	54. The Great Leviathan

Yugi ran after the others in the hallway. But he stopped when his Millennium Puzzle started to glow.

"Huh? What's it reacting to?" He asked himself.

He walked over to the altar of the three serpents and found the three God cards in the serpent's mouths.

"There they are!" Yugi said happily and retrieved them.

Yami appeared beside in him in spirit. "They're powerless now. Dartz must have transferred their energy to the Great Leviathan" He said.

"I hope that when this is all over, they'll be back to their old selves." Yugi said and continued on following the other three.

Cat, Joey and Kaiba stood in the great hall before the vortex.

"The soul carvings are empty…" Cat said.

"The Leviathan must have beamed them all up." Joey said.

Yugi ran up to join them. "We'll need these later guys." He said as he handed Joey Hermos, and Kaiba Critius.

"All we need to do know is find that snake. He couldn't have gone far." Kaiba said.

"You're right, Kaiba." A voice said and turned out to be Dartz as an image of him appeared behind the vortex.

"Come in…the party's just begun." He said.

The four walked into the vortex, Joey and Kaiba sniping at each other.

After they entered the vortex, they found themselves before a huge carved door, leading to the city's innermost ring and highest level. The source of the green light.

The buildings around the four were in ruins.

"Dis Atlantis place is a real dump." Joey said.

"I wonder where Dartz is?" Yugi wondered.

"I have an idea." Kaiba said looking at the door.

"Yeah! That giant green beam of light marks the spot." Joey said.

Yugi then switched with Yami and the four headed through the door, emerging in a central courtyard, where stone pathways lead to a small, open domed structure over the center of a pool.

The green light was coming from the dome and the four ran towards it.

"I think I see Dartz just sitting there, waiting to get crushed." Joey said as they spotted a still, white figure sitting beneath the dome.

But when the four approached, they saw that the figure of Dartz was a clear as glass.

Yami walked up to the figure and touched its hand. Once he did that, it promptly disintegrates.

"Can someone fill me in now, cuz I'm confused." Joey said.

"Dartz must have somehow left his body behind." Yami answered.

"It's just another one of his cheap tricks." Kaiba grumbled.

"Is that your answer to everything, Kaiba?" Dartz voice could be heard.

Then, all of the sudden, Dartz's face appeared, looking down at the four through the domed ceiling overhead.

"I'm with the Great Leviathan." Dartz said.

"You told us that the Great Leviathan couldn't awaken without the souls of the three Chosen Duelists!" Cat protested.

"That's right. But I substituted your souls with an equally powerful soul…my own." Dartz said.

The green beam of light split into four beams, which circle down around the floating island of Atlantis to meet again and dive down into the sea, forming a huge whirlpool in the water.

"What's that?" Mokuba asked, watching from Dartz's island.

Suddenly, the Great Leviathan leaped from the water and flew into the sky towards Atlantis, coiling around the ancient city.

"The Great Beast has returned!" Dartz announced.

"That thing could pick its teeth with an Egyptian God monster!" Joey cried, as the four looked up at it, amazed.

"It's here to conquer mankind." Joey said.

"Hey…what's that little green pimple on its nose?" Joey asked.

It turned out to be Dartz…who had merged together with the Great Leviathan.

"Well, I'm not going to just stand here and talk to some mutated hood ornament! I'm going to blast him into next week!" Kaiba said.

"I'd love to see you try." Dartz said with a smirk and the Great Leviathan roared.

Joey activated his duel disk. "Bring it on!" He said.

Yami, Cat and Kaiba joined him.

Yami summoned Dark Magician, Summoned Skill, and Kuriboh.

Cat summoned Dark Magician Girl, Magician's Valkyria and Cosmo Queen.

Joey summoned Flame Swordsman, Jinzo and Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

And finally, Kaiba added in the Blue-Eyes White Ultimate Dragon, Gadget Soldier and Vorse Raider.

And finally, Yami, Joey and Kaiba each summoned their Legendary Dragons, Timaeus, Critius and Hermos.

Yami then played Legend of Heart to turn them into the Legendary Knights of Atlantis.

Joey looked surprised.  
"Whoa! These guys are really knights?" He asked.

Yami called on all the monsters to attack and they all blasted their weapons at the Great Beast…but it appeared to have no effect. Dartz laughed.

"When are you planning to launch your real attacks?" He asked.

Yami activated Multiply and had Timaeus absorb Kuriboh's effect and attack with the force of ten thousand knights! Timaeus attacked with Sword of Justice, and the Great Leviathan got swept up inside a huge explosion of light.

The four duelists watched.

"Did we win?" Joey asked.

"I'm not sure." Cat answered.

"Hmph…of course we did! Do you really think that lizard could stand up against an attack like THAT?" Kaiba said.

Yami remained silent.

The explosion cleared…and the Great Leviathan appeared unharmed!

"I can't believe that with all those attacks, the Beast doesn't have one scratch!" Kaiba cried.

"It's worse…now it's that thing's turn to attack us!" Joey cried.

The Great Leviathan roared and prepared to attack.

"If dat attack hits us, we'll be fried to a crisp!" Joey cried.

"Timaeus! Absorb the power of Big Shield Gardna and activate Full Barrier Shield!" Yami ordered Timaeus.

The Great Leviathan's attack hit the shield, but the knight could only bearly hold it back.

All the other monsters were destroyed. Only the Knights stood between the four duelists and destruction.

"We survived one attack…but now the Great Leviathan is gearing up for another attack! And this time…we might not be so lucky." Joey said.

But suddenly, an aurora appeared in the sky and the Leviathan paused, looking up at it.

Everyone on Dartz's island saw it too.

"I recognize those lights." Kay said.

Everyone else did as well.

"It's just like that night when the gateway first opened." Yami said.

The Great Leviathan hovered near Atlantis, while the light of the aurora flash in the sky.

Within the aurora, glowing bubbles appeared. Inside one of them was the Dark Magician Girl.

"Monsters! We must unite! Without them, all hope is lost!" She called out to all the other monsters. "We must join forces with the humans and together we will defeat the Great Beast!"

Dozens of monsters attacked the Great Beast, which roared as they crashed into its hide.

"Someone's helping us!" Yami exclaimed.

"You dorks! Are you just gonna stand there? Or act like men for a change?" Kaiba snapped.

Cat crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. "I'm not a man." She muttered.

"I'll show you, Kaiba!" Joey snapped and slid more monsters in his Duel Disk.

Gearfried, Rocket Warrior, and Gilford the Lightning.

Kaiba summoned his XYZ-Dragon Cannon, Blade Knight and Kaiser Seahorse.

Yami summoned Black Luster Solder, Buster Blader, and Valkyrion the Magna Warrior.

Cat summoned Silent Magician Lvl. 8, Toon Dark Magician Girl and Wingweaver.

All the monsters joined the others in attacking the Great Beast.

"There's no way that thing can survive." Joey said.

Dartz laughed. "You'll have to do better than that!" He said.

Blades started to shoot from the spines in the Great Beast's hide, destroying Gearfried and Gilford the Lightning.

"It looks like we're going to need a plan B." Joey said.

The blades continued to rain down on their monsters, destroying them all.

"It's not over yet! That sideshow freak still has to get through our Knights!" Joey said.

Then, the Great Beast attacked the Three Legendary Knights.

"Stay strong guys!" Joey said.

"You're our last hope." Yami said.

But sadly…the Knights were also destroyed.

"YOU MUTANT! BRING IT ON!" Joey yelled up at Dartz.

"Uh, Joey?" Cat said.

"This might not be the best time to be insulting him." Yami added in.

Then, the Great Leviathan shot out tendrils that winded around Joey, Yami, Cat and Kaiba, snatching them up.

"Cat! Pharaoh!" The Dark Magician Girl cried out as the four duelists were pulled up to the Great Leviathan.

"You're about to be reunited with your friends, who are all waiting for you inside the belly of the Beast!" Dartz said. "Resistance is futile! In a few moments, the Great Leviathan will absorb your energy! Now listen carefully…"

The four then heard the voices of the souls trapped inside.

Yami heard Rafael and Weevil.

Kaiba heard Amelda.

Joey heard Mai, Rex, and Valon.

And Cat heard it all.

"He's right! Everyone Dartz caught is now inside the monster!" Yami exclaimed.

"I'm not about to let you do that to me without a fight!" Kaiba snapped at Dartz and started to struggle in the tendrils.

But he's already sunken in waist deep.

"Fighting back isn't an option." Dartz said.

"If we don't think of something quickly, Dartz wins! We've come too far and we're not giving up!" Joey said and sunk into the tendrils up to his neck.

"We can't let the others down! Everyone there is counting on us to stop this guy!" Joey continued, remembering Mai and Valon.

"There has to be something we can do!" Cat said as she sunk in up to her shoulders.

Kaiba sunk in deeper as well. "Oh…that helps." He said sarcastically.

"Yug! Help us!" Joey cried as he sunk in completely.

"I'll save you!" Yami cried but couldn't move himself.

Then, Cat and Kaiba ended up sinking in completely as well and they cried out before disappearing into the tendril.

Yami then sunk in as well, but was able to lift his Duel Disk free. And his arm with the Duel Disk was the only thing that hasn't sunken in yet.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit form. "There may be a way to fight back." He said. "If we can hear the people trapped inside, maybe they can hear us!"

"It's worth a shot." Yami said.

He then closed his eyes and called out to everyone with his mind.

"Everyone! Each one of you is a glimmer of light in this sea of shadows!"

An image of a golden cup appeared, with a tiny light falling into it.

"Alone, we might seem insignificant, but together, we radiate enough energy to conquer the darkness!" He continued and Yami appeared in the image, holding the cup.

"Everyone, focus on the light inside yourselves! It's the only way for us to save ourselves!" He continued. "Remember those you care about!"

Tears fell from Mai's closed eyes as she remembered Valon and Joey trying to help her.

A glowing ball of light formed at her chest.

"Remember those who've helped you!" Yami continued.

Rafael remembered Yami trying to help him escape as the Paradias building crumbled after their duel. A ball of light then formed over his heart as well.

"Remember what you've fought for!" Yami continued.

Amelda thought about his little brother, Mikey, and him promising he wouldn't let him be captured.

The light formed with him as well.

"And remember why you've never gave up!" Yami finished.

Valon remembered dueling with Joey and being pushed to his limits.

And his heart lit up as well.

"I've done it! I'm going to conquer the Earth!" Dartz said to himself.

But then he stopped and spotted golden lights streaming into Yami's Duel Disk, which was still sticking out.

The Dark Magician Girl noticed it as well. "They're the lights of the spirits within." She said.

"Lend your spark to the Pharaoh as well!" The Dark Magician Girl called to the other monsters.

Joey then gave up his strength to Yami. "Take it…before I lose it for good." He said.

Kaiba also flung his power at Yami. "Don't screw this up!" He snapped.

Cat also gave her strength to Yami. "Good luck!" She said.

Then Yami's Duel Disk glowed and pulses…before finally sinking beneath the surface of the beast.

"What's going on? My control is slipping!" Dartz wondered out loud.

The Millennium Puzzle started to glow.

"It's working…I feel as if my spirit's been infused with the power of every soul Dartz captured." Yami thought to himself.

Then the Puzzle gave off a blinding light, and for a short moment…Yami appeared in his Egyptian garb and they eye glowed on Yami's forehead.

He then called out, "In the name of the Pharaoh! Awaken!"

Suddenly, beams of red, blue and yellow light burst from the Beast as Yami called forth the three Egyptian Gods.

The beams of light split the Beast and Yami, Cat, Joey and Kaiba became released.

They laid back on Atlantis.

"How did you get us out of there?" Joey asked.

"By summoning them…Obelisk, Slifer, and the Winged Dragon of Ra." Yami replied.

"It's impossible! How did you revive the Egyptian Gods?" Dartz cried.

The Great Leviathan roared and then flew away with the three Egyptian Gods in pursuit.

The four monsters disappeared into the clouds.

"The Egyptian Gods may need my help." Yami said and switched with Yugi so his spirit could fly up to join the Egyptian God monsters.

"Good luck Pharaoh!" Yugi called.

"Do your best!" Cat called as well.

Above the clouds, the three Egyptian God monsters faced off against the Great Leviathan.  
Yami appeared in front of Slifer. "It's your move, Dartz." He said.

Dartz looked angry. "How dare you challenge me!" He snapped and attacked.

The three Egyptian God monsters counterattacked.

The Great Leviathan captured Obelisk, but Slifer and Ra blasted it loose.

Down below, Yugi, Cat, Joey and Kaiba watched the clouds light up.

"Leviathan's a goner! It's three against one." Joey said.

"I see that you can count…but numbers aren't everything." Kaiba said to Joey.

"You can do this Pharaoh." Yugi said.

"Please be safe Yami-kun…we've gotten too far to lose you and everything else." Cat said.

"The Great Leviathan existed long before the Egyptian Gods were even born! And it will rule the Earth long after they're gone!" Dartz said.

The Great Leviathan attacked, sending out a beam of white energy.

"Egyptian God Monsters! Attack! Obelisk, First of Fury! Slifer, Thunder Force! And Ra, Blaze Cannon!" Yami commanded the Egyptian God cards to attack. Their attacks blend together in streams of red, yellow and blue light.

The attacks collide with a force that lit up the sky.

Everyone watched. Everyone on Atlantis, Dartz's island and the Aircraft carrier.

"My Beast is fueled by the darkness of my prisoners!" Dartz said.

"You're wrong! I was able to transform the darkness in their hearts to light, which now fuels my beasts!" Yami said.

The Egyptian God monsters began to push back the Great Leviathan's attack.

It was then hit and beams of light shot from its body.

The Great Leviathan then fell from the sky.

"It looks like the Egyptian God Cards pulled through." Kaiba said.

"And that means everyone Dartz captured is free!" Joey said.

As the Great Leviathan crashed into the ocean, the light of the souls flew out of it.

Mai's soul was awakened by Valon's. "It's over. Dartz got his butt kick, so now we're free! And it's thanks to those four." He said and looked down at Yugi, Cat, Kaiba and Joey.

"They did it?" Mai asked.

"Those friends of yours are all right." Valon said and the two of them flew home.

Amelda and Rafael are approached by the lights of other souls who call their names and tell them to wake up.

Amelda opened his eyes to see his little brother, Mikey.

Rafael opened his eyes to se his little brother and sister, Julien and Sonia, and his parents.

"We've always been right by your sides. And we always will be." The souls told Amelda and Rafael.

"Thank you." Rafael said. "I will see you soon."

"Goodbye Mikey." Amelda said.

Then Mikey's soul turned into a ball of light and sunk into Amelda's chest.

He hugged himself. "Mikey." He said.

Rafael's family also turned into balls of light and joined with his soul.

"I know they will always be with me." He said.

The aurora faded and the day turned bright, the dark clouds breaking up.

Two of the soul-lights flew down from the sky, one of them flying into the Kaiba Corp. helicopter.

Mokuba and the others ran over to see what was happening.

Rafael's soul had returned to his body and he woke up.

"I'm…back." He said.

"Are you alright?" Mokuba asked.

Tears streamed down Rafael's face. "Of course…I'm free." He said. "And it's thanks to the three chosen duelists."  
"Did they beat Dartz?" Anzu asked.

"Well duh…I would hope that explains the lights in the sky." Kay said.


	55. The War is Finished

Suddenly, a dark and smoky form of the Great Leviathan flew out of the sea and returned to Atlantis.

The four watched the waters of the pool grow choppy as the island shook.

"Now what?" Joey asked.

Yami appeared next to Yugi. "Let's go." He said.

The two merged together as the columns holding up the dome began to crack and fall.

The four turned back and ran back to the vortex that led them there as the buildings crumbled around them.

Joey leaped through the vortex, Kaiba following him.

Yugi was stopped by Yami.  
"Wait…we can't leave yet." He said and the two turned around to see Dartz standing behind them, tendrils of darkness curling around him like smoke as the Great Leviathan appeared behind him.

Cat stopped at the vortex and turned around, seeing Yami about to face Dartz again.

"I can't leave without him…" She thought to herself and moved away from the vortex.

Yami summoned Timaeus and ordered him to attack.

The Knight slashed at the Beast with his sword but it counter attacked and nearly destroyed Timaeus!

Yami then ordered him to return to his deck.

"What are we gonna do now?" Yugi asked.

"We'll fight…somehow." Yami replied.

"But we've tried everything." Yugi said. "Nothing seems to work."

"Have you given up? All the monsters in the world combined together can't destroy my Leviathan. This creature isn't one of your little Duel Monsters…it was born from the darkness of the human soul. As long as mankind exists, so does the Great Beast!" Dartz said.

"Yugi, I want you to run and leave these two to me!" Yami said.

"There's no way I'm going!" Yugi said.

"You've got it all wrong! That creature was created by the Orichalcos! You were lied to and brainwashed into believing that mankind must be destroyed. Human beings aren't the evil ones…it's you! Think! When you ruled Atlantis, your people were generous and peaceful! Everything changed when the Orichalcos stones arrived! Those fragments brought chaos and hatred to paradise!" Yami cried at Dartz.

"The Orichalcos is using you to do its dirty work!" Yugi added in.

"If you want to wipe out mankind, you'll have to go through me first!" Yami said.

The Great Beast roared and attacked, the darkness started to swirl around Yami.

"Pharaoh!" Yugi cried out.

The Great Beast then turned into a black whirlwind.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Dartz said with a smirk.

Yugi watched in horror and Cat ran up behind him, also watching in horror.

"Now what?" Kay asked as her and the rest watched a beam of darkness rise from Atlantis.

Yami cried out as he was trapped within the whirlwind of darkness.

"Farewell, Pharaoh!" Dartz said and laughed. "Now Great Leviathan! Crush the Pharaoh with his own darkness!"

Yugi and Cat ran up to Yami.  
"Let him go!" Yugi cried.

Yami turned to the two.

"Stay back! This is my fight now…I must probe that my rage is gone!" Yami said to the two.

Yugi stopped, remembering when he couldn't stop Yami from playing the Seal of Orichalcos card.

"When I played that card…I unlocked the evil in my heart. Ever since then, I've been fighting the anger within me, and now it's destroying me." Yami said.

"But you stopped it, didn't you?" Cat protested.

"No…Facing Yugi in a duel was the first step…but there's a long way to go. The power of the darkness knows no bounds." Yami said.

Yami remembered when he met Yugi's spirit in Ironheart's valley. There he had told Yugi that without his light, he was becoming evil. But Yugi told him that he passed the test by defeating him. Yami was able to defeat the darkness in his heart.

The shadowy form of the Great Leviathan roared as Yami struggled inside the whirlwind.

"Be strong!" Yugi cried.

"Focus on the good inside you!" Cat cried as well.

"Think of your friend!" Yugi called.

Yami realized that as long as he was filled with the light of friendship, Dartz couldn't win.

He remembered his duel with Dartz when Dartz tried to convince him to surrender by telling him he was all alone. He nearly succumbed, but the light of friendship in his heart protected him from the Orichalcos.

Yami stood in the whirlwind. "Thanks to my friends, I have enough power to banish the darkness! With the power of everyone in my heart, I'll seal the Great Leviathan away!" He said.

Lightning flashed and the sky grew dark.

"Great Leviathan! Vanquish the Pharaoh's spirit for all eternity!" Dartz cried.

"Pharaoh! Get out while you still can!" Yugi called.

"No…you two must trust me." Yami said.

The Leviathan roared and then shrunk into the whirlwind, disappeared into a tiny spark of light.

"The hurricane is gone!" One of the men on the aircraft carrier said.

Duke, Rebecca and Professor Hawkins watched the shafts of sunlight break through the clouds.

The clouds broke up and the sun shined down on Atlantis.

"You did it." Cat said.

Yami suddenly felt weak and fell.

Yugi ran over and caught him. "Are you alright?" He asked. Cat also rushed to Yami's side.

Yami smiled at the two. "I'm fine." He said.

The two sighed. "Good." Cat said.

"The Great Leviathan is gone…it's over now." Yugi said.

They spotted Dartz lying on the ground. A bright light formed before him and Ironheart, Chris and Sky appeared.

Dartz looked up at his family, surprised.

They helped him to sit up.

"My daddy is back!" Chris said with a smile.

"And he has the Pharaoh to thank." Ironheart said. "He drove out the evil force that controlled Dartz."

"I knew that deep down, Dartz was a noble ruler." Yami said.

Dartz, whose eye that was green, turned back into its original golden color, smiled.

"He's a great father too!" Chris said.

"Pharaoh…your work here is complete and you may go in peace." Ironheart said.

Yami, Cat and Yugi looked over their shoulders to see the portal through which they could return to their own world.

"What about Ironheart and the others?" Yugi asked.

"They'll be alright. For the first time in centuries. Let's go home." Yami said.

The three stood up and walked to the portal, with their arms around each other.

"Daddy, we should go too. We have a lot of catching up to do." Chris said to Dartz.

Atlantis then started to descend back into the sea, raising a huge wave as it hit the surface.

Kaiba ran out of the temple. "Mokuba!" he called. "Start the engines of the helicopter! We have to get out of here!"

Joey was right behind Kaiba, panting for air.

"But we can't leave without Yugi and Cat!" Anzu said.

Kaiba and Joey looked back at the temple. Yugi and Cat didn't follow them.

"Time's running out!" Mokuba said.

"Yes. We can't wait." Kaiba said.

Joey tried to run back to the temple but Honda grabbed him around the waist and stopped him.

"I'm not leaving without Yugi and Cat!" Joey said.

"We have to trust that they found a way out on their own!" Honda said.

"YUGI! CAT!" Joey shouted, frustrated.

But the helicopter took off and Dartz's island sunk into the sea.

"Good riddance." Kaiba said to the island.

"I hope Yugi and Cat weren't in there." Mokuba said.

Joey sat there, hanging his head and Anzu stared sadly into space. "I hope so too." She said.

* * *

Meanwhile back at a hospital in the city…Weevil woke up.

"Mommy?" He asked.

And in the next bed, Rex woke up as well. "Where am I?" He asked and spotted Weevil. His eyes grew.

"What are you doing in my bedroom?!" He cried at Weevil, horrified.

"We're at a hospital, stupid!" Weevil snapped at Rex. "And I think I know who's fault this is!"

"I think it's Joey's fault!" Rex said.

"I think it's Yugi's fault!" Weevil said.

"You'll pay for this!" They both cried and jumped out of their beds, running down the hall.

As they ran, they passed another room, which Amelda was in.

He just woke up and sat up. "Where am I?" He asked and spotted a Dyna Dude action figure lying on the bed beside his pillow.

He picked it up, remembering his little brother telling him that soon the real Dyna Dude would show up and beat up all the bad guys. But then their refugee camp was attacked by the tanks, and Mikey was gone.

His tears fell onto the Dyna Dude figure and he stood up. "I swear I won't stop looking until I find my brother." He said.

* * *

Elsewhere, the sun was setting on a house by the sea.

Valon woke up in his bed and looked around. "I'm…home. Was it all a dream?" He wondered.

He remembered being defeated by Joey and saying goodbye to Mai, telling her he now understood why Joey meant so much to her. Then he remembered telling Joey to save Mai as the Orichalcos took his soul.

He sat up and a Duel Monster card fell to the floor. It was Cyber Harpie! One of Mai's cards.

The bed next to him was empty. He went out onto the balcony with the card and he looked into the sunset. "I'll never forget you…thank you." Valon said, talking to Mai.

Mai was on her motorcycle, driving away down the beach, thinking that she's glad that mess is over.

"Now to pick up the pieces." She said to herself.

She remembered meeting Dartz and being given the power of the Orichalcos, then dueling Joey, first at the Industrial Illusions building and again in the empty lot, where he lost his soul.

"I can't face Joey yet…so I'm going to hit the road until I'm ready to own up to everything I've done. But I'll be back." She said to herself.

* * *

On a small deserted island, Yugi and Cat lied unconscious on the shore, the waves lapping at their feet.

A voice called their name, telling them to wake up.

Yugi opens his eyes and looks at Cat beside him, shaking her shoulder.

"Cat! Wake up!" He said.

Cat stirred a little and opened her eyes, sitting up. "Wha…? Where are we?" She mumbled.

"I don't know…" Yugi answered and then turned to Yami who was next to him in spirit. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"It seems we've washed up on shore…but I wonder how…someone must have guided us." Yami answered.

An aurora then glowed in the sky above them and the Dark Magician Girl, with the three Legendary Knights appeared before them.

"We are forever in your debt." The Dark Magician Girl said. "You've saved the human world and mine as well. The Dominion of the Beasts can once again flourish and the Legendary Knights can continue to protect their land."

"I'm just glad we could help." Yugi said.

"Thank you…you fought bravely." Timaeus said.

"You three will never be forgotten." Hermos said.

"For as long as the Knights reign." Critius added in.

"We couldn't have done it without you three. In the face of ultimate darkness, your courage sparked a light so strong, it will burn for all eternity." Yami said.

The Dark Magician Girl then looked at Cat.

"And you did your best as well." She said.

"Huh? But…I didn't do that much." Cat said, looking a little confused.

"But you did. When the Pharaoh's soul was in danger, you sacrificed your soul to save him…because you knew without him, there would be no hope. Plus you helped the three Chosen Duelists in battle against the Great Beast, and you gave your energy to the Pharaoh when he needed it. I think that's a lot in my opinion." The Dark Magician Girl said with a smile.

"Indeed. You fought bravely as well." Timaeus said.

Yugi switched with Yami. "They're right you know." He said to her with a smile.

"You helped everyone all the way." Hermos said to Cat.

"You and your ancestor, Luna." Critius said.

"Thank you." Cat said. "May your light shine for all eternity."

The three knights nodded to each other and then flew away into the light.

"The time may come when we'll need each other again. If so…you three will know where I'll be. Right in your decks!" The Dark Magician Girl said with a wink and flew away.

Above, the Kaiba Corp. helicopter flew overhead.

Anzu looked out the window. "Those weird lights are back." She said.

Joey looked out the window and spotted the three Legendary Knights and the Dark Magician Girl flying away.

"That explains why." Joey said.

"They must be going home." Kay said. "Now that their world is safe again."

Joey pulled out his Hermos card and it dissolved in his hand.

Kaiba also pulled out his Critius card and it also disintegrates.

He smiled. "No big deal. My deck's still unstoppable." He said.

Kay looked at him. "Ego hasn't changed?" She asked.

"Hey guys! Look! It's Yugi and Cat!" Anzu cried as she looked out the window.

"It's them!" Honda exclaimed as he looked out window as well.

"Well…it looks like the gang made it out okay." Cat said with a smile.

"Yeah." Yami said, standing in front of Cat and he looked back at her. "Cat…?"

"Hm?" She asked.

But instead of getting a reply, Yami's face only moved closer to hers.

"Yami-kun…? Wha…" She couldn't finish what she was saying as he moved closer.

But just then, Joey head locked Yami and he quickly changed with Yugi.

Joey was fully of grins and he laughed dumbly. "I'm never letting this spiky head out of my sight!" He laughed as he noogied poor Yugi.

"J-Joey! That hurts!" Yugi cried.

Everyone surrounded the two.

"Is it really all over?" Anzu asked.

"We're safe now." Yugi said to all his friends.

From the door of the helicopter, Mokuba, standing with Kaiba and Rafael, called out to Yugi and the others.

Joey ran back to the helicopter. "I'm sure there's someone else trying to take over the world back home!" He said.

"You know, the scary thing is…Joey's probably right." Honda said to Anzu.

Yugi and Cat started to follow but stopped and looked over behind them to see Yami still standing on the shore.

Cat blushed lightly from earlier, still wondering what he was going to do.

"Um…I'm going to go on ahead, alright Yugi?" Cat said.  
"All right. Tell everyone I'll be there in a moment." Yugi said.

Cat nodded and jogged her way back to the helicopter.

Yugi looked back to Yami

"_We may have stopped Dartz, but the Pharaoh's not done yet. Now he has to pick up where he left off before all this craziness started. The biggest adventure of all is still ahead, and it won't be over until he unlocks the secrets of his past. Maybe then, his spirit will finally be able to rest. But no matter what the Pharaoh has to face, he won't do it alone._" Yugi thought to himself.

* * *

It had been two days since Dartz had been defeated and everyone was still stuck in America without a way to get home.

Kaiba and Mokuba had left them there so they could go and take care of some business.

So everyone was doing their own thing.

Professor Hawkins' truck and motor home was in a forest area. And that's where everyone stayed.

Yugi explored the area, Honda and Joey were eating, Duke was ignoring them, Cat was sitting and listening to music, singing along to some of the songs, Kay, Rebecca and Anzu sat outside, talking and Professor Hawkins did his own thing.

"So, Anzu…I know you like Yugi, but which one?" Rebecca asked.

"What?" Anzu asked.

"Which Yugi do you like more? The regular Yugi or the Pharaoh?" Rebecca asked.

Anzu thought for a moment. "Well…if you can keep a secret, I actually like the Pharaoh more…he's stronger and more brave." She answered. '

"Great! Then you and I don't have to worry about being rivals! I like the little Yugi and you like the Pharaoh." Rebecca smiled as she got up and walked off.

Anzu was in thought for a moment. In that time, she imagined herself and the Pharaoh together.

She blushed at the thought.

Kay sat there silently, sipping her drink through a straw, staring at Anzu suspiciously before standing up and going to find Cat.

When she found her, Cat almost looked like she was asleep with her headphones on.

Kay snatched her headphone. "You awake?" She asked.

Cat opened her eyes. "Yes…why did you take my headphones?" She asked.

Kay sat next to her. "I just wanted to talk." She said simply.

Cat turned off her mp3 player.

"About what?" She asked.

"Oh you know…just about things…" Kay said and glanced over at Cat who was sipping a drink of her own without a straw, and grinned. "About two days ago on the island…what you and the Pharaoh were going to do before Joey jumped in."

Cat nearly choked on her drink when she heard this.

"Wh-what are you talking about?!" She asked, her cheeks a light pink.

Kay grinned again.

"Exactly what I said." She replied.

"Kay-chan…to be honest, I wasn't sure what Yami-kun was going to do." Cat said, a bit more relaxed.

"If you ask me, it looked like he was about to kiss you." Kay said.

Cat blushed a little brighter.

"What? No, of course he wasn't! He doesn't see me like that. He was probably just going to…tell me something…or something like that." She said.

"Right. Uh-huh…yeah." Kay said in a disbelieving voice. "I don't know Cat-chan. I think he's got a thing for you."

"N-no! I-I don't think he does!" Cat protested.

"But then how do you explain the way he's been treating you?" Kay asked.

Cat sighed and held her cup.

"Look…he only treats me that way because I'm Luna's ancestor and Luna is connected to his past, plus he's just trying to help me find a way back home and on top of that, he's my friend. What more reason do you need?" She said and took a drink.

Kay wrinkled her nose in a strange smile. "Cat-chan. Let's be honest. Even with all those facts, no one treats someone like that in such a special way. Even if they were a perfect gentleman." She said. "Think about it…I know I wasn't here for long, but there MUST have been times that he's treated you in a very special way!"

Cat paused and thought.

She remembered the time he ran after her when she ran away from the house after learning about Luna. And when her tears wouldn't stop…but they did when he hugged her.

Then there was that time he rescued her from that angry man at the library and took care of her when he found out she had sprained her ankle in the fall when Marik threw her off the balcony.

She also remembered when he came to find her after she had ran away again and changed her hair.

He was always looking out for her…and always being there for her.

Cat started to wonder…was Kay…possibly right about Yami being in love with her?

Cat shifted in her spot for a moment, looking a little embarrassed. "I don't know…you could be right…you could be wrong." She said.

Kay raised an eyebrow. "Hm, by the way you're acting, I would say that I may be right. So does that mean he's kissed you yet?" She asked.

Cat was, once again, in the middle of taking a drink and she ended up spurting it out and choked a little.

Kay laughed.

Cat's cheeks were pink once again. "N-no! We haven't! Stop jumping to conclusions!" She cried.

"There, there…it's alright." Kay laughed. "But I'm pretty sure that he likes you. And if I'm right, then I think we have an odd love triangle."

"A love triangle?" Cat asked.

Kay nodded.

"I heard just before I came over here that Anzu has a crush on the Pharaoh. Rebecca has a crush on regular Yugi though." Kay said. "Personally, since I really do think the Pharaoh likes you, I don't think he sees Anzu in that way at all. Don't tell her I said that, by the way. I don't know how Yugi feels about Rebecca. But then again, Yugi doesn't have much to do with you and the Pharaoh's relationship. But with that in mind...how do YOU feel about the Pharaoh?"

Cat looked down at the grass and played with one of the blades of grass nervously.

"I...honestly don't know how I feel about him...I'm starting to wonder...if I've developed feelings for him." She said quietly. "But I'm not 100 percent sure myself yet."

Kay grinned and leaned back against the tree. "Ah, I just know you two are gonna get together someday."

Cat looked at Kay. "D-Don't say things like that! You don't know!" She said.

Kay laughed.

"Well, I can guess, right?" She asked.

Cat blinked a little. "Yeah...I guess." She said.

"Exactly. But that's what I think." Kay smiled and stoof up. "I'll leave you to your music."

And with that, Kay walked off.

Cat remained still for a moment and sighed, placing her headphones back on her head and turning her Mp3 player back on.

Closing her eyes, she couldn't help but wonder...how DID she really feel about Yami?

The thought haunted her mind until bedtime.

* * *

**Yeah, lots of updates in one day. I guess I just wanted to finish the DOOM/Doma saga. Lol**

**Next up with be the Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship and then The Memory World/Millennium World/The Dawn of the Duel saga. Wow! It's almost done! O.O**


	56. Kaiba Corp Grand Championship

It was morning.

Joey was sprawled across the bench seat beside the table. Duke and Honda were sleeping in bunk beds, all snoring away.

Suddenly, the loud clanging of a wooden spoon against a metal frying pan was heard.

"Wake up everyone! It's morning!" Rebecca cried happily, clanging away.

Joey woke up immediately, falling off the sofa.

Duke sat up too quickly and hit his head on the bunk above him, while Honda just sat up, wide-eyed.

Anzu and Kay came to join the smiling Rebecca.

"All you guys do is eat and sleep." Anzu said with her hands on her hips.

"And your point is?" Joey asked in an irritated voice.

"What's for breakfast?" Duke asked.

Joey yawned. "Wake me up when its chow time." He said and laid back down, intending to go back to sleep.

Kay frowned and took the wooden spoon away from Rebecca, hitting Joey with it.

"She said WAKE UP!" She said.

"YOWCH!" Joey cried and sat up. "What was THAT for?!"

"Like I said. No sleeping. It's morning for goodness sake!" Kay answered waving the wooden spoon at him.

Rebecca paused and looked around. "Where's Yugi?" She asked.

The spot he was sleeping in was empty.

"He took off." Joey simply answered.

"I hate it when he does that." Honda said.

* * *

Yugi walked along a path through the woods, stopping at the edge of the lake to stretch.

"Finally! Some peace and quiet." He said.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit form. "We needed this." He said.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed.

Then, a look of concern took place on Yami's face.

"Something on your mind?" Yugi asked.

"It's just that every time we restore peace to the world, it seems that a greater evil is waiting for us." Yami answered. "Plus…during the last battle, you and Cat have suffered a lot because of me."

"Look on the bright side. Every battle we fight together brings us one step closer to finding the secrets of your past." Yugi said and pulled out the three Egyptian God Cards, holding them up. "They're finally back in our deck. It's time to pick up where we left off. As soon as we get back home, we'll go back to the history museum, and get some answers."

Just then, Rebecca and Anzu came to find Yugi. They called out to him and Yami disappeared back into the puzzle.

Yugi turned to greet his friends when suddenly, Rebecca flung herself onto Yugi, knocking the poor guy to the ground while Anzu twitched furiously.

"I was more worried about you than Anzu was!" Rebecca said happily, nuzzling Yugi.

"Thanks Rebecca…uh…I think." Yugi said. "Can we get up now?"

Anzu tried to fake a smile but was still twitching. "Come on you two "lovebirds"…everyone's waiting." She said through clenched teeth.

They headed back to the motor home where a picnic table was set out with breakfast on it.

Joey and Honda were practically drooling over the food.

Anzu and Rebecca sat down and before Yugi did as well, he stopped. "Hey…where's Cat?" He asked, looking around.

"What? Don't tell me she ran off too!" Honda said.

"Well, she'll show up when she shows up! Until then, let's eat!" Joey said reaching for something before Anzu slapped his hand.

"We have to wait for Cat to return!" She snapped.

Joey pouted, rubbing his hand where it was smacked.

"Do we have to go look for her?" Duke asked.  
"No, just wait." Kay said.

After a couple of minutes, Cat returned back to the camping spot.

"Hey guys!" She said with a smile but stopped when she saw Joey and Honda glaring at her.

Cat sweatdropped. "Um…did I…hold something up?" She asked.

Joey jumped in her face. "Yeah ya DID! Breakfast! The most important meal of the day!" He snapped as Cat hunched up her shoulders, looking a little frightened.

Honda jumped in her face from the other side. "That's right!" He agreed with Joey.  
"Where were you anyways?" Joey asked.

Cat held up her hands, looking a little spooked, her shoulders still hunched up defensively. "I-I was just taking a walk…" She said quietly, for sweatdrops forming on her head.

Joey and Honda were about to say something more, but were stopped by Kay and Anzu, punching the boys in the head.

"Stop being mean to Cat-chan!" Kay snapped.

"If you want to eat, then go sit down already and stop acting like little kids!" Anzu snapped as well.

"S-saved…" Cat sighed to herself in relief.

A large bump grew on each of the two boy's heads.

They held their heads in pain as a small waterfall of tears ran down their faces. "Yes Ma'am." They both said at the same time.

After a while, everyone was eating.

"You know what Professor? You make a mean dish of pasta!" Joey said.

"There's a lot more where that came from if you want to stay." Professor Hawkins said with a smile.

"Thank you, but we should be getting back home." Yugi said politely.

Rebecca looked horrified.

"How can you leave when we haven't even gone out on a date yet!" She asked.

"I agree…but not about the date thing. It IS too soon to leave." Duke said.

"Yeah, we should stay and relax for once." Honda agreed.

"Hey! If every meal is like dis, I'm movin' in with the Professor!" Joey said with a grin.

"It is kind of nice here." Anzu said.

Before Yugi could say anything, the phone inside the motor home rang.

"Excuse me for a moment." Professor Hawkins said as he walked inside of the motor home and answered the phone. "Hello?"  
There was a pause. "What?!" He asked in shock to the person on the other end of the phone.

* * *

"Yug, tell us one good reason why we should go." Joey said to Yugi.

Yugi only looked down and mumbled.

Cat, who was sitting next to Yugi spoke up, "I know what it is. He needs to get back to help the Pharaoh." She said.

"Oh yeah. I understand now." Honda said.

"Yugi has more important stuff to deal with." Anzu added in.

Then Yami appeared beside Yugi in spirit. "I've waited five thousand years to find out about my past. I don't think another day or two will hurt." He said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked.

Yami nodded. "I understand we need some rest from all this, so take your time." He said.  
Yugi smiled.  
"Thanks." He said as Yami disappeared back into the puzzle.

Yugi turned back to everyone.

"Well, alright. We should stick around a little longer." He said with a smile.

"I call dibs on the lounge chair!" Joey cried happily.

"I claim the hammock!" Duke added in.

It wasn't long until everyone was lounging by the lake.  
"Don't you guys ever get tired of being tired?" Anzu asked Joey and Honda.

"That's why we need a nap." Joey said simply.

Rebecca was snuggled up next to Yugi at the water's edge, hugging his arm.

"Don't you think this is so romantic?" She asked, smiling.

Yugi just fidgeted and blushed a little.

Anzu frowned at them. "That's enough vacationing for me." She grumbled.

Cat at the water's edge at a distance from the others. But not too far.

She was listening to more music and writing down some lyrics. They were about her confused feelings of love or not.

She took a moment to stop writing and just stared out to the lake, noting to herself how beautiful it looked.

It took her a moment to notice Kay reading her lyrics over her shoulder. She looked up at her friend a let out a yelp of surprise before jumping back.

Kay laughed at her.

"Ah-ha! Writing about our feelings are we?" She grinned.

Cat blushed. "Not like that! It's just an emotional release! I'm just confused is all." She said defensively.

Kay sat next to her. "So, you still haven't figured out how you feel about him?" She asked.

Cat shook her head.

"What about you?" She asked.

Kay blinked. "What about me?" She asked.

Cat looked at her, hugging her knees. "Aren't you in love with Kaiba?" She asked.

There was an odd silence at that moment as Kay's face turned red.

"Why…do you think…that?" She asked.

Cat looked up innocently. "Well…you're almost ALWAYS with Kaiba and you seem to be the only person, other than Mokuba who he cares about. Plus you, him and his little brother are really close…and finally the fact that your face turned red when I asked you." She answered, looking back at Kay.

Kay frowned with embarrassment, her face still red. "I-I'm the one who's supposed to be asking the questions! Not you!" She said and Cat giggled a little.

"So I was right, right?" She asked.

Kay looked down and sighed.

"I don't know…maybe a little." She answered.

"So then…how does it feel?" Cat asked. "To…be in love?"  
Kay looked at her confused.

"What? You don't know?" She asked.

Cat looked down, looking a little miserable. "Well…you see…I've never had a boyfriend and I've had a lot of heartbreaks…so…I kinda…forced myself to forget how to love." She said.

Kay blinked.

"No offense Cat-chan, but that seems like a little stupid thing to do." She said.

"Yeah, I know. When I think about it now, it really does seem kind of stupid. I guess I took it too seriously then." Cat said.

"Probably." Kay agreed. "Well then…hmm…I guess love is kind of the feeling of wanting to just be with that one person forever. To love them for who they are and how happy they make you feel to be around them. Just wanting to be with that one special person…to share everything with. Secrets, happiness, sadness, anger, everything! And love is also...well...putting their needs and happiness before your own. Someone you really like while the other person is liking you as much, back! I could go on..."

Cat stared at Kay.

Kay smiled in a silly way. "That can go with friends too, but I think that love is more intense. Yeah, I'm not very good an describing things." She laughed.

Cat shook her head. "No, I think that was very well put." She smiled.

"Heh, thanks. I try." Kay smiled and looked back at the camping spot, noticing the empty hammock. She grinned and stood up. "Well, I'm going to head back. Just wanted to see what you were doin'. Now if you'll excuse me, Duke abandoned a hammock that's calling my name."  
She ran over to the hammock and jumped in a little before Duke came back.

The two started arguing a little and Cat laughed lightly as she watched them snap at each other.

Cat returned her gaze back at the lake. They way Kay described love…did she really feel like that with Yami? She did…but…Kay also said that it could go with close friends as well…so…now she had a new question in her head. Was it the strong intensity of love? Or was it the regular love of friendship?

"Great…" She mummered sarcastically. "Something new to ponder on for all eternity." She then continued on finishing her lyrics.

Everyone continued to relax…until Duke brought something up.  
"By the way guys…when is your flight home?" He asked.

Yugi, Kay, Joey, Honda and Anzu all looked up, suddenly realizing that fact.

"Pegasus flew us here…and we can't afford a flight home!" Joey pointed out.

"Why didn't you think of this before?" Honda asked Joey, horrified.

"It didn't occur to you either, Honda!" Joey snapped.

"Now what?" Yugi asked.

Kay pulled out her cell phone. "Don't worry! Pegasus is my uncle, so if I ask him for a ride, he'll come and get us." She said and dialed the number.

Everyone waited patiently.

After a while, Kay tried all of Pegasus's numbers and he wasn't available. Kay sweatdropped as she closed her cell phone. "S-Sorry guys…I think he's busy or something."

Everyone sighed miserably.

"Yay! That means Yugi gets to stay with me!" Rebecca said happily.

"Don't count on it." Anzu said.

Just then, a sudden wind blew through the trees and everyone looked up to see the Kaiba Corp. helicopter just landing in their meadow.

It wasn't long until Mokuba and Roland stepped out.

"Looks like you guys could use a life." Mokuba said with a smile.  
Everyone nodded eagerly.

"Alright, I'll give you a ride…but…there's a small catch. In exchange for the door-to-door service, you'll have to enter my brother's new dueling tournament." Mokuba said.

Everyone soon sat at the table to discuss this all.

"Have you guys heard of our new theme park?" Mokuba asked.

"Well, duh, it's only been in every paper." Rebecca said.

"Then you probably know it's about to open, and Seto wants to kick things off with a bang." Mokuba said.

* * *

_"Thanks to Dartz, the reputation of our company is shot." Kaiba said to Mokuba and Roland while looking out a window in his office. He turned to Roland. "It's up to you to fix it."_

_Later, while Kaiba was at his computer, Mokuba sat on a desk next to Kaiba's. "I have an idea! We should plan a big event to celebrate Kaiba Land's grand opening." He said._

_"Of course." Kaiba said as he flipped through a card database on his computer. "It should be…the ultimate tournament."_

_"We'll gather the greatest duelists from around the world and let them play for the championship title. It will be the biggest thing since Battle City!" Mokuba said._

_Kaiba looked at Roland. "Update the tournament contracts." He said._

_"What do you plan to call the new tournament?" Roland asked._

_Kaiba sat back with a satisfied smile. "Call it…the Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship." He said._

_"Fire up the chopper, Roland!" Mokuba said and jumped off the desk he was sitting on. "It's time to track down the best duelists in the world!"_

* * *

"Seto expects to see you all right away." Mokuba said.  
"Whoa, hold on a moment! You might wanna try asking us first! Kaiba's not the boss of me!" Joey said.

"But since we can't get home without him, he does seem to have the upper hand." Honda pointed out.

"But Kaiba should have the decency to come and ask us for himself." Duke said.

Mokuba looked a little guilty. "My brother is really busy right now. In fact, he's so wrapped up in his job, he won't even be participating in his own tournament." He explained.

"That doesn't seem like Kaiba." Yugi said.

"I think Kaiba's just afraid of getting his butt kicked in public again! One more humiliating defeat and his reputation would really be shot!" Joey said with a grin.

Mokuba slammed his fist on the table. "That's not fair!" He insisted. "My brother CAN'T duel! He has too much to do! Why don't you try opening up a chain of amusement parks! It wasn't an easy decision for him to make."

"Don't worry, I understand Mokuba." Yugi said.

"Joey you idiot! Why'd you have to go and say something stupid like that! Of course Kaiba's busy! He practically always is! I'm almost surprised that he's been able to duel at ALL!" Kay snapped at Joey.

Joey looked guilty. "Well…maybe I did get carried away…" He mumbled.

"Anyways, I'm ready to get down to business. We're inviting the top-ranked duelists from all over the globe to battle each other for a shot at the World Championship title. But to do that, we need the World Champ." Mokuba explained and looked at Yugi.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit form and Yugi turned to him. "Should we really do it?" He asked.

Yami nodded and Yugi turned to look back at Mokuba.  
"Count me in." He said.

"If Yugi's in, so am I." Joey said.

"Me too!" Rebecca said. "Where ever Yugi goes, I go! Besides, I'm the US champion. I'm qualified to enter."

"I was told to invite you three plus Kay and Cat. I have tickets for you five and the next flight to Kaiba Land is boarding now!" Mokuba said with a smile.

Cat looked confused. "But why was I invited? I can understand Yugi for the World Champ title he holds. Joey because he's a strong duelist and has been a runner-up for practically everything. Rebecca because she's the US champion…and Kay-chan because she's the only person who's tied with Kaiba." She said.

"I kind of wondered the same thing. Seto explained it was because of your level rating in Battle City. It was pretty good, I guess and he figured that you would be sticking around with him, so he decided to let you join as well." Mokuba said.

Cat smiled. "Alright!" She said and then said quietly to herself, "Although…I don't think I rank even close to Yugi or Yami-kun."

"Okay then! Let's go!" Mokuba said with a grin.

* * *

Meanwhile, at a castle in a far-off wooded land, a man walked out onto his balcony, towards a lounge chair and table with servants standing by.

"My dear friend, Kaiba is throwing another tournament…how charming." The man said. He had a strong German accent and he sat in the lounge chair and pressed a key on his laptop, sitting on the table.

He pulled up an image of Kaiba. He then picked a rose from a bouquet.  
"Every rose has its throne. But be careful Kaiba…for even the most delicate flower can be quite dangerous." The man said and slapped his rose against the laptop screen. "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself…leave that to me."


	57. Zigfried

The Kaiba Corp. helicopter flew over Kaiba Land with Joey, Honda, Mokuba and Duke staring out the windows.

"It's huge!" Joey exclaimed.

"We plan to open tons of these, all around the world!" Mokuba said cheerfully.

"It looks like they've got every ride ever invented!" Anzu added in.

Rebecca was still clinging to Yugi. "I hope they've got a Tunnel of Love!" She said.

Anzu glared a little at Rebecca, thinking to herself that she wanted to be with Yugi.

The helicopter landed and they entered the park.

Joey was busy looking around until he was startled to come face-to-face with a Blue-Eyes White Dragon!

"Gah! It's a Dragon!" Joey cried.

"Joey calm down…it's only a statue." Honda reassured him.

Everything around the park was duel monster related!

"I thought the park hadn't opened yet." Anzu said.

"These are special guests. And every ride is free today." Mokuba explained.

"Oh yeah! We'll Tilt-A-Whirl till we hurl!" Joey and Honda both cried gleefully.

"I need some female friends." Anzu groaned.

Finally, Mokuba lead them to the Kaiba Dome. The building was shaped like the head of a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, with its fangs forming columns in front of the entrance.

Everyone looked either amazed or dumbfounded at the large building.

"We're not dealing with normal people here…" Joey said.

Duke agreed.

They walked inside.

"This is the world's largest indoor stadium, with our new state-of-the-art Duel Monsters platform." Mokuba explained.

They watched a duel between the dueling computer and a boy.

The boy was in a bad situation.

"There's no way that kid can beat the digital duelist now." Joey said.

"That's right. Not a chance. The computer was programmed to mimic the strategies of the world's best duelists. We've imported Seto's deck and even Yugi's deck as well." Mokuba said.

"Then it must have mine too!" Joey said with a grin.

"That's so it can lose too." Honda said. "Just to be fair."

"I don't appreciate those words, Honda!" Joey growled at his friend.

"What fun is it to duel against a computer that always wins?" Anzu asked.

"The players can choose one of five levels. From beginner to expert." Mokuba explained.

"That's an awesome way for kids to practice dueling and improve their skills." Yugi said.

Yami appeared in spirit next to Yugi and nodded. "With a few more duels, Luke there could be a world champ." He said.

(Note: They know the boy's name because it's on the screen that shows their life points, picture and whatnot.)

Soon, Luke lost and he descended from the dueling platform to his friends, looking rather disappointed.

"You put up a good fight, Luke. You just set your level too high." One of them said.

Then, one of the kids recognized Yugi and they all ran to him.

The kid who told Luke that he put up a good fight came up and introduced himself.

"Hi! My name is Leon. I've been a fan of yours since Duelist Kingdom." He said and held out his hand.

Yugi looked embarrassed and greeted him back, shaking his hand.

Other kids also crowded around Rebecca, getting her autograph.

"Hey! Does anyone want my autograph?" Joey said with a grin. "I was a Battle City finalist!"

But none of the kids knew who he was.

Honda laughed a little. "Do I know you?" He asked Joey, teasingly.

Joey hung his head. "I get no respect…" He complained.

Another boy named Rick asked Yugi if he could look at his deck.

"No matter what I do, I can't seem to win a duel." Rick said to Yugi.

Joey looked over Yugi's shoulder. "I see the problem. All you have are dragon cards." He said.

"Dragons are my favorite!" Rick said.

"But you'll never win with this deck." Rebecca said, also looking at the deck.

"It's obvious your value your cards and that respect is going to take you far. But you also need to balance your deck with magic and trap cards." Yugi said and pulled a card out, handing it to Rick.

The card was called, "Heart of the Underdog."

"That card reminds me of a good friend." Yugi said and Rick happily accepts it.

"Who does the card remind you of, Yug?" Joey asked.

"I'll tell you later." Yugi said.

"Awesome! I'm going to test it out right now!" Rick said happily and ran to the dueling platform.

"Don't set the level too high." Mokuba advised Rick.

Rick chose level two.

* * *

"It looks like my plan is in full bloom." The man with the German accent said, sniffing a rose. "It's the sweet smell of revenge."  
He then activated a program on his laptop computer.

* * *

Back at the stadium, the duel was about to begin until the power suddenly went out!

Joey laughed stupidly. "Looks like Kaiba boys forgot to pay their electric bill." He joked.

"There still must be some kinks in the system." Rebecca said.

Mokuba ran to the dueling platform. "That's impossible!" He said and worked at the controls at the side of the platform. "Everyone just stay calm."

The platform then lighted back on! But at the same time, the stadium's emergency exits all closed. They were trapped!

The computer's voice changed and announced that it's altering its original sequence.

Mokuba continued to work frantically at the controls, but it didn't respond.

Rebecca walked up. "Let me handle this Mokuba." She said, pulling out her laptop and plugging it into the duel platform's controls.

"Just as I suspected." She said. "The computer is being controlled by an outside party."

"Why would someone do this?" Mokuba asked. "It's just an amusement park attraction."

"They're probably using it to get something they want from you and your brother." Rebecca said.

"Alright then! Let's tear this thing apart then!" Joey and Honda said and were about to spring into action, but Duke stopped them.

"If you two do that, then we might not be able to ever get out of here." He warned.

"The only way to get out of here is to defeat that computer in a duel." Rebecca said.

"So…our fate lies in the hands of that kid up there." Kay said.

The computer then announced that it was time to duel.

"S-someone help me! I can't do this alone!" Rick cried.

Yugi then noticed that the computer level had been set to level five! The toughest level!

"I'm toast…" Rick said.

"He'll never survive at level five! He's only a beginner!" Mokuba cried.

Then suddenly, Yami took over and leaped up onto the platform next to Rick. "I'll take it from here…if that's okay." Yami said to Rick.

"It's…cool." Rick said, looking a little dumbfounded.

"I'll bring your deck to victory, but you have to have faith." Yami said.

Everyone cheered them on.

"I don't know who's behind this, but whoever it is must be stopped!" Yami said. "It's my move!"

Back at Kaiba's office, Kaiba received a report on the intercom that someone had infiltrated the Kaiba Dome central computer system!

"What? How?" Kaiba asked as his computer screen showed the interior of the Kaiba Dome, with Yami on the duel platform and the others standing around.

"I don't know, Mr. Kaiba. But everyone inside is being held captive." The voice on the intercom said.

Kaiba then noticed Kay and Mokuba inside as well.

"Mokuba! Kay! They're trapped inside as well?" He cried.

* * *

The German man's name was Zigfried.

He walked towards the door of his castle between rows of bowing maids.

His servant, Ludwig, wished him a safe flight.

"Thank you. And Ludwig, make sure the swimming pool is filled with fresh milk on my return. It does wonders for my complexion." Zigfried said.

He stepped outside. "I see I'll be taking the lavender jet today." He said.

"I thought it matched your wardrobe quite nicely." Ludwig said.

* * *

The duel went on until Yami finally won.

The lights came back on and the stadium doors re-opened. Everyone cheered.

"I knew Yugi would save us!" Leon said happily.

"Yeah! And I did too!" Honda said.

"Yeah, right." Rebecca said to him sarcastically.

Yami and Rick came down from the dueling platform and Yami handed Rick his deck back. "It was your passion for your cards that saved us." He said.

All the kids gathered around Rick, asking for trades as Yugi and Yami smiled at each other.

Everyone returned outside and the kid's parents came to collect their children.

"Yeah! The good guys win again!" Joey cried happily.

"Thank you for the card, Yugi. I'll take good care of it!" Rick said with a smile and ran off to meet his parents telling them that they wouldn't believe what just happened.

"Hey Yug…you said earlier that the Heart of the Underdog reminded you of someone." Joey reminded Yami.

Yami blinked as Yugi stood by in him spirit, playing it cool.

"Uh, I did?" He asked. "Uh well…a little help here?" He said to Yugi, winking and immediately switched places with him.

Yugi blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, real mature Pharaoh!" Yugi yelled at Yami, who was standing next to him in spirit, pretending not to hear anything.

"Well?" Joey asked, hooking his elbow around Yugi's neck.

"Everyone seems to think its me who reminds you of this underdog…" He said with a grin.

"Uh…lemme think of a good way to put this…" Yugi said. "The card makes me think of you because even when the odds are against you, you always pull though."

"I can see Joey's business cards now: Jonouchi Katsuya, Executive Underdog!" Honda said.

"Hey! What was DAT?!" Joey yelled at Honda as everyone laughed.

Then, nearby a Kaiba Corp. helicopter landed and Kaiba leaped out, worried.

"Mokuba!" He called.

Mokuba ran up to him.

"Is everything alright?" Kaiba asked.

Everyone followed Mokuba. "You're a bit late to save the day." Joey said. "Yugi already did that. But now that you're here, you can fix the computer."

"Settle down, underdog." Kaiba said.

Everyone laughed as Joey fumed.

"There's nothing wrong with the computer. It's the hacker who broke in who's the wacko." Kaiba said.

"Who was it?" Mokuba asked.

"I don't know. There's a long list of suspects, though. Kaiba Corp. has its share of enemies, but that punk will be found and punished!" Kaiba said. He turned to Roland. "Triple security for the tournament registration tonight."

Roland nodded and headed off to do what he was told.

"Anyone's who's late for registration will be disqualified." Kaiba said and turned to leave. "Mokuba…make sure Joey's late."

Joey paused for a moment, and blinked dumbfoundedly at Kaiba. He suddenly got angry.

"I'm pretty sure I've just been insulted. LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M YELLIN' AT YA!" Joey said and started yelling at Kaiba as he walked away as everyone started to laugh at him again.

* * *

That night, Kaiba held a part for the tournament registration.

"Who are all the people, Mokuba?" Yugi asked.

"We're trying to create a big buzz about the tournament, so we've invited all the newspapers and television networks." Mokuba explained.

Honda then popped up in front of one of the news cameras and waved. "Hello world!" He said.

Joey then pulled Honda away and jumped in front of the camera gleefully. "Hello, I'm Jonouchi Katsuya, two-time finalist." He said until Duke walked up in front of the camera.  
"I think it's obvious who they all came to see." Duke said, smiling at the camera.

Elsewhere, Rebecca was enjoying the food until a woman in a Chinese dress bumped into her.  
"Hey! Watch it kid! The Kiddie Park is closed!" The woman snapped.

Rebecca glared at the woman. "Do you want a piece of me?" She asked angrily.

Anzu walked up to Rebecca. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Rebecca pointed at the woman.

But suddenly the woman got all excited and ran past the two to Yugi. "I'd recognize that adorable spiky hair anywhere! My name is Vivian Wong, but you can call me Viv." She said to Yugi and winked at him as he blushed.

"Hey! Let Yugi go!" Rebecca commanded Vivian.

Vivian ignored Rebecca and hugged Yugi around the neck. "Just because we'll be archrivals when the competition starts, doesn't mean we can't be buddies off the playing field!" She said.

Anzu and Rebecca started to steam.

And nearby, Joey, Honda and Duke boggled at Vivian.

"Let Yugi at least come up for some air!" Rebecca snapped at Vivian again.

Vivian promptly let's Yugi go, having spotted Kaiba across the room.

She ran to him, calling to him.

Kay was nearby and she glared at Vivian. "I think I've just found my next victim." She growled as Vivian continued to "yoo-hoo" at Seto Kaiba.

"Hey Yugi!"  
Yugi looked over to find Leon!  
"Leon! What are you doing here?" Yugi asked, smiling.

"Turns out I'm in the tournament as well. It's been my dream to duel you ever since Duelist Kingdom." Leon said.

"It could happen." Yugi said.

"Roland, it's almost time to get started." Kaiba said.

"We're still waiting for one more challenger." Roland replied. And after he said that, Zigfried had just entered the room with a rose in his hand.

"Then the latecomer is disqualified!" Kaiba said and Roland stammered for a moment.

But then, Zigfried greeted Kaiba. "I apologize for my tardiness. Traffic was a nightmare." He said. "My name is Zigfried."

"I don't care who you are. You should show some respect." Kaiba said in an annoyed voice.

Zigfried just chuckled to himself and continued on.

Zigfried was about as tall as Kaiba and had very long pink hair that ended at his waist. He wore a formal lavender suit and white shoes. He had green eyes as well.

He may as well also be Kaiba's age.

* * *

Cat stood in the crowd, wondering what she should do. She got separated from her friends.

"Great…good job ditz." She muttered to herself.

Zigfried wasn't too far off when he spotted her. He recognized her as one of Yugi's friends as he was watching Yami's duel with the hacked dueling computer. He grinned and walked over to her.

"Vell, isn't this a surprise?" He said to her and Cat turned around, looking up at him.

"Huh?" She asked.

"I didn't expect Egyptian Moon to be here." Zigfried said.

Cat blinked. "Oh uh…you know…about that?" She asked nervously.

"Of course! I'm surprised you haven't been recognized yet! But then again, such a delicate flower as yourself shouldn't be mobbed by T.V cameras and reporters all the time!" Zigfried said.

"Uh…?" Was all Cat could say.

There was a pause.

"Oh yes, of course! How rude of me!" Zigfried said and bowed. "My name is Zigfried."

Cat blinked again. "O-Oh! Nice to meet you Zigfried! My name is Cat Tsuru!" She said and bowed herself as Zigfried stood up fully.

"A pleasure to meet you Ms. Tsuru. I look forward to seeing you out in the dueling field." He said as Cat stood up fully again.

"Same here." Cat said with a nervous smile.

Zigfried smiled and handed her a white rose. "I'll see you around." He said before walking off.

Yugi was nearby and Yami was next to him in spirit. They saw the whole thing.

Yugi looked up at Yami, who didn't look all that happy. "What's up?" Yugi asked.

"I don't trust that pink haired guy." Yami mumbled.

"Oh, because he gave Cat that white rose? Don't' worry about it. I'm sure he was just being friendly. After all, he did recognize her as her singer identity." Yugi said.

"Hm, we'll see." Yami said and switched with Yugi, walking up to Cat.

"Hi there Cat. Did you get lost on the way in?" Yami asked.

Cat snapped her head in Yami's direction and quickly hid the rose behind her back and blushed lightly.

"U-Uh, yeah! I did…heh, heh…sorry about that." She said.

Yami smiled.  
"And you made a new friend?" He asked.

Cat looked at the white rose in her hand. "Oh this?" She asked and gave Yami an honest look. "I honestly don't know what that was all about. I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to understand him, his German accent was strong."

"I see…well…he wasn't coming on to you, was he?" Yami asked.

Cat blinked and shook her head. "No…I think he might have just been trying to be friendly." She said and set the rose on a nearby table.

Yami smiled. "I see." He said. "I just didn't want anything to happen to you, is all."

Cat returned the smile. "Thanks for your concern Yami-kun." She said before looking down and blushing a little.

Why was it suddenly hard to talk to him without being shy? It's never happened before…

* * *

**I'd figure some people might be confused about this, so I thought I would clear something up.**

**The reason why I keep on switching Joey's names (Between his english and Japanese name) is because when I wrote this, I didn't want to write out "Jounouchi" all the time. Since I wasn't used to writing his name at the time. So I made the excuse that "Joey" is Jounouchi's nickname. **

**I hope that clears it up for those who were confused. lol**


	58. The Tournament Begins!

Yami was about to ask Cat if she was okay but then the lights dimmed and Roland stood on the stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! I now announce the beginning of the most prestigious Duel Monsters tournament in history! The Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship!" He announced into a microphone.

Joey jogged up to Yami and Cat. "It's time to strut our stuff!" He said and paused, looking at Cat who was still blushing from before. "'Ey Cat, you feelin' alright? Your face is a little red. Do ya have a fever?"

Cat shook her head. "N-No! Let's head up there before we get in trouble!" She said with a small smile and walked to the stage with the others.

Cameras flashed as the press photographed the row of duelists.

It was now Roland's turn to introduce them.

"First up is the new boy wonder of dueling! The prodigy who has yet to be defeated! Leon Wilson!" Roland announced Leon.

Joey, Yami, and Cat looked on in surprise.

"Who knew dat kid was such a big shot?" Joey said.

Roland continued to introduce the duelists.

There was a robed fortuneteller named Fortune Salim. A cowboy with a guitar around his back named Shane Jordan. A muscle man named Sergei Ivanoff. A man with a deerstalker cap, in detective clothes and a pipe, named Detective Paul McGregor.  
Paul McGregor was then scared off stage by a strange-looking person with a monkey off his shoulder. He was introduced as Abe, the Monkey Man.

Then there was a man in surgical scrubs with two nurses standing beside him. His name was Dr. Richard Goat.

The next one is a boy with a magic wand and cape; Balfry Ginger.

Then there was an illusionist in a yellow suit named Totani Ialos; whom produced a live dove in his hands as he was introduced. He was followed by a Road Warrior-ish Australian, Ethan Shark.

Next is a roved swami named Jafar Shin.

The next on was the woman that Rebecca tangled with earlier, Vivian Wong.

Next, Rebecca was introduced as the youngest regional champion, Rebecca Hawkins. She smiled as she waved to everyone, and then exchanged a sharp glance with Vivian.

Next, Kay was introduced as the only duelist ever to tie with Kaiba, Kay Simms.  
Kay smiled at the crowd and gave them a peace sign.

Next, Joey was introduced as Jonouchi Katsuya.  
Joey stuck a prideful pose, trying to make himself look cool…until Roland added, "The Overwhelming underdog!"

Joey fell over in frustration at those words and stood back up. "Hey! Show me at least a LITTLE respect!" He snapped at Roland.

The next on was the mysterious masked duelists who bared a strange resemblance to Grandpa Moto.

"Yugi, don't we know him?" Yami asked Yugi who was next to him in spirit.

"I don't know." Yugi replied. "But he DOES look familiar somehow."

The next duelist to be introduced was the "stylish" Zigfried Lloyd.

Girls were heard screaming highly as he tossed a rose into the audience as Kaiba frowned and Kay gagged, unknown to the rest that she hated Zigfried with a passion.

Zigfried glanced at Cat and gave her a strange grin.

Cat tried not to look at him, for he gave her a rather uneasy feeling in her gut.

Yami stood next to Cat and noticed the glance Zigfried gave Cat. He frowned at him.

The next person to be introduced was a young girl, not too younger than Cat, named Kate Lacambra. She was introduced as the youngest and top duelist in her homeland.

She gave the crowd a small smile.

Cat blinked at the young girl.

She had black hair and two long bangs that were gray/silver. Her eyes were gray and she wore a strange pendent around her neck…it looked a lot like a Millennium item.

Cat noted that she had seen her before in the crowd. She had looked a little lonely and shy.

Maybe she didn't have anyone to talk to?

Cat then decided that she should talk to her once the introductions were over.

It was now Cat's turn to be introduced.

She was introduced as a shy girl with mysterious dueling talents, Cat Tsuru.

She overheard some people mentioning that they recognized her as the pop singer, "Egyptian Moon."

Cat bit her lip a little, hoping that people would come up to her about it. She already had enough stage fright being up there in front of everyone.

And finally Yami was introduced as the World Champion, Yugi Moto!

"Whoever wins the nineteen-player elimination competition will go on to face Yugi for the International Duel Monsters Championship crown!" Roland said.

Yami looked surprised and looked around once he heard this.

No one had told him that before!

"Whoa! Mokuba didn't mention that the winner of the tournament would get to face you!" Joey exclaimed. "But it looks like the toughest bunch of competitors we've ever faced."

Leon agreed with them.

"Make sure you play fair! Match parings will be randomly chosen by computer before just before every duel!" Roland announced.

"That means we won't have time to prepare for our opponents ahead of time." Yami noted.

"It means that none of the others will have a chance to prepare for me either!" Joey said with a smile.

Cameras started to flash again.

"Best of luck to all of you! Only one of you will be the World Champion Duelist!" Roland said.

* * *

Fireworks exploded and there was skywriting planes spelling out "KC Grand Championship" in the sky over the Kaiba Dome.

The roof of the Kaiba Dome opened to reveal a stadium full of cheering spectators.

"This is the beginning of the Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship! We've assembled a lineup of first-class duelists from around the world, one of which will be crowned World Champ!" Roland said into a microphone.

Joey clenched his fists and hunched over in excitement.

In the front row of the spectators, Yugi watched with Anzu and Duke.

"Whoa! This is a huge crowd!" Yugi exclaimed.

"I think Joey's trying to scare his competition with his weird chicken dance." Duke pointed out as they watched Joey make "bring it on" signs at the other competitors.

"I need some female friends." Anzu repeated.

Honda jumped in front of a T.V camera, making peace signs and grinning.

Anzu whacked him on the head. "Try acting normal!" She said.

"And now! The master of ceremonies! Mokuba Kaiba!" Roland introduced as Mokuba appeared on a platform that rises behind the stage where the duelists are lined up.

Kay giggled. "Mokie-kun's the "master of ceremonies?" Well that's quite a thought." She said.

"Is everyone ready to get your duel on?!" Mokuba asked the crowd through a microphone. The crowd cheered very loudly in response. "It's time to kick off the greatest Duel Monsters tournament ever organized! Before this week is through, there may be a new international Duel Monsters champion! And now allow me to introduce the current champion, Yugi Moto!"

The crowd chanted Yugi's name as the poor guy looked around in confusion.

Joey raised his fist to Yugi from the stage, grinning.

Vivian Wong waved and Rebecca winked at him.

Cat and Kay only smiled at him.

"Now everyone! If you'll direct your attention to the Kaibatron for the first round match-ups!" Mokuba said and pointed at a large screen.

"In Block A Joey will be facing Apnarg Otom! And in Block B, Leon Wilson will face Dr. Richard Goat!" Mokuba announced.

"Oh yeah!" Joey said happily and turned to the crowd. "This one's for my fans!"

He then turned to face Apnarg Otom. "When I win, that mask is comin' off!" He said to the masked duelist.

"Where do we know that guy from?" Honda asked.

"I don't know." Anzu replied.

"I do…" Yugi murmured.

Leon looked at his opponent nervously and Anzu stood up to wave a Leon. "Good luck Leon!" She called to him.

Leon looked at her, blushing.

"Before the duels go underway, I'm sure there's someone you all want to hear from! Yugi! Come up and give a few words to your fans!" Mokuba said through the microphone.

Yugi blinked as Yami appeared next to him in spirit. "Pharaoh, I need you to do this!" He said.

"No…you can do this." Yami said with a smile.

"Yugi, you can't let your fans down!" Honda said.

"Honda's right Yugi!" Duke said, pushing Yugi out of his chair.

Yugi walked hesitantly towards the stage, blushing. "Oh, what should I say?" He asked himself. He turned and waved at the crowd. "Uh...Hello Kaiba Land!"

"Uh, Yugi? Up here." Mokuba said to him.

Yugi jumped in embarrassment and slowly climbed the stairs to the stage. "No one said anything about public speaking!" He complained to himself quietly.

Once he reached the top, he walked stiffly and awkwardly onto the stage and waved. "Uh…h-hello everyone." He said with a blushing smile.

The crowed roared with excitement until their attention directed to the roar of engines passing over the stadium. It was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet!  
And Kaiba jumped out, flying down with a jet pack strapped to his back.

He was wearing a white suit and he smirked and crossed his arms over his chest as he flew down.

Kay looked up at him and blushed, watching him.

Cat glanced over at Kay and then grinned at her. "Caught you." She said.

Kay looked at Cat, embarrassed. "S-Shut up!" She cried.

Kaiba landed next to Mokuba, dropping his jetpack and holding his hand behind him for Mokuba to pass him the microphone.

Mokuba gave him the microphone.

"This is not a show! It's the ultimate test of survival!" Kaiba announced. "This is a ruthless battle, and, in the end, only one duelist will remain standing! From this moment forward, Kaiba Land is a battlefield! May the best duelist win!"

Zigfried regarded Kaiba while the crowd chanted Kaiba's name.

Joey glared at Kaiba. "Showoff." He muttered. "He's lucky he's not dueling me."

Kay grabbed Joey's ear. "Oh, shut up already!" She growled. "I'm trying to stare at Kai- er…I mean listen to what Kaiba has to say!" She covered up quickly.

"Ow! Ow!" Joey cried in pain as she held his ear.

"_I know one of these punks is out to ruin me…and before this tournament's over, I'm going to find out who._" Kaiba thought to himself as he over looked the duelists.

Zigfried smiled.

Roland then took over the announcing duties again.

"All tournament matches will be held on Kaiba Land grounds! But only one the two remaining finalists will be invited back to duel in the Kaiba Dome! Match One will take place on the Amazon Adventure Trail! And Match Two will be held beneath the Dragon's Lair Flume." He announced. "Duelists need to report to their designated locations!"

"Hey look! It's Leon!" Yugi exclaimed with a smile as Leon appeared on the giant screen, walking under the Dragon's Lair ride.

Dr. Goat approached him, flanked by his two nursed.

The duelists handed each other their decks.

One of the nurses wiped Dr. Goat's brow as he shuffled Leon's deck.

They took back their decks and prepared to duel.

Then the screen showed Apnarg Otom waiting for his opponent in the Amazon Adventure.

"That dude in the mask just looks so familiar!" Honda continued.

"Maybe it's our gym teacher?" Anzu suggested.

"Yugi…is that…?" Yami asked Yugi in spirit and Yugi nodded.

"By the way…where's Joey?" Duke asked.

They all became startled when Joey walked in front of them, a hot dog in each hand.

"Joey! What are you doing here?!" Yugi cried.

"'Ey! There's a two-for-one sale on weenies!" Joey said with a grin.

Everyone ran up to him, along with Mokuba.

"Joey! You're supposed to be at the Amazon Adventure Trail!" He said.

"Joey doesn't duel on an empty stomach." Joey insisted.

"If you don't get to your match in ten minutes, you'll be disqualified." Mokuba said.

"Eh…ten minutes is a piece of cake." Joey said. "No problem."

"The Amazon Adventure is a fifteen square mile virtual jungle, Joey!" Mokuba said and then sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to…" But before Mokuba could finish his sentence, Joey became panicked and ran for the exit, with everyone else following him, telling him to wait up.

Mokuba watched them for a moment. "Oh well…" He said.


	59. The Matches Start! Plus a New Friend

Joey stood in the prow of a boat heading down a stream into the jungle while Honda read the map.

"Okay…dock the boat over there." Honda said, pointing at a location.

Joey then jumped out of the boat and ran down the trail. "Land Ho!" He cried

"Slow down! The jungle is loaded with pitfalls!" Honda called after him. But it was too late…Joey had already fallen into one.

Later, Joey is making his way across a wobbly suspension bridge while hungry crocodiles snapped at him from below.

Later on, the gang were running down a trail, followed by a huge rolling boulder!  
"Break left!" Honda cried and everyone went left…except for Joey.

The boulder rolled over him, leaving him lying on the ground with his eyes spiraling around.

Then, not too long later, Joey was confronted by a snake, following by a flock of bats!

"Guys! Help me!" He cried.

Everyone watched him from afar, flailing at the bats and snake.

"Should we tell him they're only holograms?" Anzu asked.

"Why? And spoil all the fun?" Duke asked.

Later, Joey is continuing to run down the trail. Even though he looks extremely tired.

Anzu looked at her watch. "We only have twenty seconds left!" She said.

Hearing this, Joey went into overload, running through the vines and leaves until he FINALLY made it into the clearing where the masked duelist waited on the steps of the stone platform.

Mokuba stepped up. "If you're not here in ten seconds, you're disqualified." He said.

Joey staggered up to Mokuba. "And with five seconds to spare." He panted. "Hey…wait a minute! How did you get here before us?"

"I tried to tell you. There's a secret passageway for special guests." Mokuba said.

"What? ARG! It's not fair!" Joey cried as everyone else caught up to him, all gasping for breath.

"At least we made it on time." Yugi said.

"Looks like the student is finally going to face his former dueling instructor." Apnarg Otom said and quickly corrected himself. "I-I mean it's time to teach you a lesson kid!"

"I don't think so!" Joey said back to him.

"I'm sure we know that voice as well." Honda said.

Joey and Apnarg faced each other atop the stone platform.

"Yugi…the mysterious duelist sounds just like your grandpa." Kay said to Yugi.

"It is." Yugi replied.

"But why the disguise?" Honda asked.

"Perhaps I should explain." Professor Hawkins said as he suddenly walked up. "I tried to talk Solomon out of it, but he wouldn't listen."

* * *

_"I've made up my mind Arthur. I'm going to join the tournament and that's final!" Grandpa Moto said to Professor Hawkins over the phone while he stood in an airport._

_"I need to get back to the action and relive my glory days. But I'll need a disguise. I don't want anyone going easy on me."_

* * *

This was the phone call Professor Hawkins received back when everyone was having breakfast at the motor home.

Solomon and Joey were shuffling each other's decks.

"I can't believe Grandpa had us fooled!" Honda cried.

"It is a pretty lame disguise." Anzu added in.

"And it looks like Joey's still clueless." Cat pointed out.

"We should tell Joey to go easy on him." Duke said.

"No. My Grandpa will be just fine." Yugi said.

"I hope so." Mokuba said.

"You invited him, did you?" Honda asked Mokuba and Mokuba shook his head.

"No…in fact, Mr. Motou begged to be let in. He taught Yugi everything he knows, and that's good enough for me." He answered.

"I hope he doesn't hurt himself." Kay said.

"I'm more worried about Joey." Yugi said.

"Huh…I haven't seen Mr. Motou duel before." Cat said.

The duel began and went on for a while.

"It looks like Grandpa's strategy worked. He now has Joey in the palm of his hand." Honda said.

"I wonder what his strategy is anyways?" Cat wondered out loud. "Do you know, Yugi?"

"I don't…" Yugi said and looked at Professor Hawkins who was watching the duel, his eyes shining. "But I have a feeling Professor Hawkins does."

"I just hope Joey figures it out soon." Anzu said.

* * *

Back at the roller coaster, Leon had just wiped Dr. Goat out.

"Nooo!" The man cried and fell to his knees. "When is my next appointment?" He asked one of the nurses.

The nurse looked at her watch. "It's 10:30." She replied.

Leon watched them as Dr. Goat is carried away on a gurney.

"I need a second opinion." He said as he was carried away.

Leon looked bemused as he was announced the winner.

* * *

Outside of the entrance to Kaiba Land, two figures wearing ratty robes and carrying walking sticks struggled down a road.

"I'm tired!" One of them complained. It was Weevil!

"Oh yeah? I'm more tired than you!" It was Rex!

"Whatever, I'm hungry!" Weevil said. "It's been two weeks!"

"I think you're exaggerating." Rex said.

"Shut up!" Weevil cried as the two fell to their knees at the entrance of Kaiba Land, sweat and tears streaming down their faces.

They finally found the tournament!

"We made it!" Weevil said happily.

"I have a few ideas about how to get in." Rex grinned.

"That's what I'm worried about." Weevil said.

* * *

After a while longer, Grandpa Motou finally summoned the monster he's been working on to summon! The Ancient Dragon!

"It's breathtaking!" Professor Hawkins said with a bliss-like look on his face.

"So that's what he's been waiting to summon!" Yami said, standing next to Yugi in spirit.

"It's awesome!" Yugi exclaimed.

"For once it seems Jonouchi Katsuya is at a loss for words." Grandpa said.

"Your grandfather isn't the only one with that card." Professor Hawkins said to Yugi as he walked up to him and he held out his own deck to show Yugi his Ancient Dragon, which was at the top of his deck.

Yugi and the others gathered around to look at it.

"You have one too?" Yugi asked.

"Yes. But I've never been able to summon it. Because I don't have all the necessary components. Solomon is the only person I know who possesses all seven cards needed to call forth this divine creature. I hope you kids appreciate the rare event we've just witnessed." Professor Hawkins said. "Over the past few years, me and Solomon have been in a friendly competition, both of us hunting down the same cards. Until recently, we each had six of the seven cards we needed. But that would soon change."

* * *

_"By the way, I have some interesting news to repot. Looks like you owe me a chocolate shake!" Grandpa Moto said over the phone, at the airport. "I've managed to track down the last card!"_

_"What?" Professor Hawkins exclaimed over the phone._

_"Now I can finally summon the Ancient Dragon." Grandpa Moto continued._

_"I must see it! But when?" Professor Hawkins said._

_"I've just joined Kaiba's tournament, remember? What better way to show off my new card?"_

* * *

"That was the cheeriest I've heard Solomon in a long time." Professor Hawkins said. "Solomon is happiest when he's dueling. I think it keeps him young."

"I guess he's just a kid at heart." Anzu said with a smile.

"Just look at him. He's managed to summon a card he's been waiting to play for years! And it's about to use it to win this duel." Professor Hawkins said.

"You should consider it an honor to be attacked by the Ancient Dragon." Grandpa Moto said to Joey.

"I think it's a huge waste of time to spend the whole duel setting up for one card!" Joey replied.

"I'm disappointed. You seem to have forgotten everything I taught you." Grandpa Moto said.

Joey looked confused.

"Suit yourself. Either way, you're about to be wiped out." Grandpa Moto continued.

The duel continued and Joey seemed to be taking this duel a little too seriously.

"Joey! Lighten up a bit! You're so caught up in winning; you've forgotten what's important! You forgot to have fun!" Yugi called to Joey.

"But this is serious!" Joey said looking at Yugi.

"Chill out! This tournament's no big deal. It's just a cheap way for Kaiba Corp. to get some publicity." Honda called to him.

Mokuba glared at him.

"Um, excuse me! I'm standing right here!" He snapped.

"Just be yourself!" Anzu called.

"And you'll be fine!" Cat added in.

"Thanks guys." Joey said, smiling.

Grandpa started to weep tears of joy. "I'm so proud of you all." He said holding a handkerchief to his eyes.

"I don't know why you should be proud, Apnarg!" Joey said.

Grandpa Moto put his handkerchief away.

"From now on, you're not the only one who's going to have fun!" Joey said.

"That's the spirit!" Professor Hawkins called to Joey. "So what if Apnarg is more skilled and will probably win?

"Okay that's enough motivation." Joey said giving him an annoyed look.

The duel continued and Joey was thinking about what he should do next.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but you're thinking about this too much!" Honda called to Joey.

"Hey! Keep your comments to yourself!" Joey snapped at Honda. "I may not have a deck full of rare cards like Apnarg's, and I may not plan out my strategy step-by-step, but I think pretty quickly on my feet and always trust my instincts! That's because I've had some good teachers."

"Why thank you." Grandpa said and jumped a little, quickly correcting himself. "Uh, I mean, Good for you!"

"I was taught to play the game with heart, and always have fun! And that's just what I'm doing!" Joey said.

The duel continued and it wasn't long until…Joey won the duel!

Everyone looked on in amazement. "Did Joey just win?" Honda asked.

"It would appear he did." Duke answered.

Everyone ran to Grandpa Moto who was lying on his back after getting trounced by Joey's final attack from his Goblin Attack Force.

Joey offered him a hand. "It was a nice duel." He said.

Then Grandpa sat up and pulled off his mask, revealing himself to Joey. He smiled. "Good Job Joey!"

Joey freaked out. "I was dueling with Grandpa all along?!" He cried.

Grandpa Moto laughed.

"It as a pretty good disguise. Maybe it'll be my new look." He said.

"Why did you join the tournament?" Joey asked.

"I was hoping to duel you. I did teach you everything you know, so I thought it was time to test you." Grandpa said.

"Well, the, did I pass?" Joey asked.

Grandpa winked and gave him a thumbs up. "You get an A+!" he said.

"There's a first time for everything." Mokuba said.

"Pinch me, I must be dreaming." Honda said.

"OW! It was a figure of speech!" Honda complained at Duke who pinched him.

Duke laughed.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit. "Your grandfather dueled quite well." He said.  
"Yeah. I think Grandpa had more fun than anyone." Yugi agreed.

"So, uh, why didja pick the name "Apnarg" anyways?" Joey asked Grandpa.

"It's "Granpa" spelled backwards." Grandpa Motou explained.

"Ooohhh!" Everyone said.

"I don't get it…" Joey said.

Everyone left the jungle area.

"Congratulations on your first-round win." Honda said to Joey. "Even though it means I owe Duke a steak."

Mokuba ran up to one of the screens located in the park, broadcasting the duels. "Hurry up! The next duel is about to begin!" He called to the others.

On the screen, the announcer introduced the duelists.

"The next duel will be between Regional Champion and self-proclaimed child genius, Rebecca Hawkins! And she will face model turned actress turned kung-fu master and turned duelist, Vivian Wong!" The announcer said.

"That diva is nothing but bad news." Anzu said, glaring at Vivian's image on the screen.

Grandpa Motou started go all googly over how beautiful Vivian was.

"Another duel! I can't get enough!" He said.

"If you don't calm down, Mr. Motou, you'll hurt yourself." Honda told him.

Grandpa grabbed Professor Hawkins by the lapels. "It's been so long since I've been near the action! Besides! We should cheer for Vivian!" He said.

"You're going to cheer for the beautiful woman instead of your friend's granddaughter?" Kay asked.

"I'll certainly root for Rebecca as well!" Grandpa Motou said before his back went out with a crack, causing poor Grandpa to fall over.

"Grandpa!" Yugi cried and kneeled down beside him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Professor Hawkins kneeled down on Grandpa's other side. "It looks like Solomon threw out his back." He said.

Mokuba pulled out his walkie-talkie. "I'll radio for a doctor." He said.

"Don't worry about me. Go with your friends and enjoy the rest of the tournament." Grandpa Moto said.

"I can't leave you." Yugi said.

"I'll look after your Grandfather, Yugi. Go root for Rebecca for me. Rebecca would never admit it, but she could really use some support." Professor Hawkins said to Yugi.

"Alright then." Yugi said.

Cat looked down at Grandpa Moto and then looked up when she saw someone at the corner of her eye. She looked over at the person who was sitting on the bench not too far from them.

It was Kate! The girl she was going to talk to earlier.

She meant to go talk to her, but after the introductions, she couldn't find her.

Cat walked up to Kate.

"Hi!" She said.

Kate looked up at Cat, confused. "Uh, hi." She said.

Cat sat next to Kate. "Why are you sitting here alone?" She asked.

"I'm just waiting for my turn in the tournament. I don't have people to talk to so I just sit and watch the duels." Kate explained with a small smile.

"I see." Cat said and smiled. "Well, why don't you hang with us?"

"Huh?" Kate asked.

"We'll be your friend. I know how it feels to be alone…and it's not exactly the best feeling in the world. You can hang out with us." Cat said with a smile. "If you want to."

Kate remained silent for a moment before smiling. "That would be great. It would be nice to have people to talk to." She replied.

"Great! We're about to go watch a friend's duel. Let's go!" Cat said with a smile.

* * *

Rex and Weevil snuck through the hallways.

"This is our ticket in!" Weevil said.

"I'm not so sure…" Rex said in an unsure way.

Weevil grabbed Rex by the shirt. "Don't be so negative! Name the last time one of my ideas didn't work!" He snapped.

"Every time!" Rex replied. "Just once I'd like to get my revenge without looking like a doofus!"

They then spotted one of the duelists, Salim, walking into the men's room.

"Oh…stadium food. It doesn't go well with me." He complained as he walked in.

Rex and Weevil then followed him inside.

A scuffle is heard inside and then Rex and Weevil leave, wobbling inside Salim's robe.

A robeless Salim was in a broom closet, tied up with a toilet plunger on his head. He grimaced in pain.

* * *

In the Blue-Eyes White Dragon station over the train tracks, Rebecca and Vivian shuffled each other's decks.

"This duel is going to be short and lame. Like you." Vivian said to Rebecca. "I was hoping for a real opponent. Someone strong, like Yugi! He's so commanding, yet sweet and gentle. Or Kaiba for that matter! I could use my beautiful skills to make them my captives of love! And together we'd be the strongest dueling couple in the world!"

"You won't be getting within 50 feet of Yugi, Viv." Rebecca replied angrily as the duelists got their decks back.

"When I win this tournament, Yugi will forget all about you. In fact, he probably already has!" Vivian said.

They exited the station onto either side of the train tracks.

As they faced off, a Blue-Eyes White Dragon train speeds between them. When it passed, they stood there, ready to duel.

The duel had already begun when Yugi and the others arrived.

At this time, Cat already introduced Kate to the others and they all knew that they would become fast friends.

Kate seemed a little shy around Yugi though.

They called out to Rebecca.

Rebecca looked up and waved happily at Yugi. "Yugi! Hi!" She was then interrupted by Vivian who danced around, calling to Yugi.

"My little dumpling! I knew you'd be here to cheer me on!" Vivian called to Yugi gleefully.

Yugi looked mortified, but didn't know what to say.

"Yugi is here for me, Viv!" Rebecca snapped at Vivian.

But Vivian ignored her and continued to gush at Yugi.

Anzu steamed as well and Joey threw his arm around Yugi's neck. "You're my hero, Yug!" He said.

"What's your secret?" Honda asked.

Yugi looked dumbfounded. "Maybe…it's my natural charm?" He suggested.

"This is why I need more female friends!" Anzu snapped at the boys then turned to Rebecca. "Rebecca! That "glamazon" has got to go!"

Kate looked down at Vivian, a little annoyed.

Cat sweatdropped and looked at Kay. "Are we the only calm girls here?" She asked.

"Probably." Kay answered.


	60. Round Two!

It was a fair duel and Rebecca won.

Everyone cheered for Rebecca as she ran up to join them.

Vivian sunk to her knees in disbelief that she lost.

"We knew you'd pull through!" Duke said to Rebecca.

Rebecca then flung herself onto Yugi.

"No one comes between us, Viv!" Rebecca said and stuck her tongue out at Vivian.

Yugi looked a little dumbfounded.

Vivian glared up at Rebecca and chewed on her handkerchief in anger. "We'll see about that!" She growled.

* * *

Everyone went to the nearest screen to check on the duels.

Detective Paul McGregor had just beaten Shane Jordan and according to Kaiba's chart, Joey would face whoever wins the next duel.

It was Zigfried Lloyd versus Fortune Salim.

Rex and Weevil, still in Salim's clothing, staggered up to the dueling area.

Mokuba, who was at the dueling area as well, watched suspiciously.

"Weevil! I should be the one who's dueling this match! Not you!" Rex protested from inside the robe.

He was holding Weevil on his shoulders.

"My insect deck is way better!" Weevil snapped back.

Just then, Rex tripped on the steps, which led to the dueling area, and the two boys flew apart, revealing them.

"Hey! What are those two doing there?" Joey asked, watching the screen.

"They're acting like complete numbskulls, what else?" Honda asked.

"You spaz! You made us fall!" Rex snapped at Weevil.

"What?! You're the spaz! You're the one who tripped!" Weevil snapped back.

Mokuba stood over them. "What did you do with the real Fortune Salim?" He demanded.

"He's tied up right now and he asked us to fill in!" Weevil explained.

"That's right." Rex agreed. "Salim thought we would be best to fill his shoes."

"Right…" Mokuba said, obviously not buying their story. "No one can duel unless they're registered."

"Oh come now, let the boys duel. After all, I did wear my favorite suit, and I look too good to win just by forfeit." Zigfried said to Mokuba. "Think of your business…you wouldn't want to disappoint your public. Let me duel these two fools."

"What did you call us?!" Rex and Weevil snapped at Zigfried at the same time.

They started to insult Zigfried back, but he ignored them, looking at the overhead camera.

"I hope you're watching Heir Kaiba…because I have a special show in store just for you." He thought to himself.

And of course, Kaiba is indeed watching.

"I don't trust this guy…" He mummered to himself.

Weevil and Rex started up their duel disks to face off against Zigfried.

Weevil was able to summon his Insect Queen in one turn.

Rex was able to summon his Black Tyranno in one turn as well.

"I'd like to see you try to get past my Jurassic giant!" Rex said to Zigfried with a smirk.

"And even if you do, you'll never get past my incredible insect!" Weevil added in.

"We'll see about that." Zigfried said calmly and drew.

He smiled at his card.

As a breeze blew, rose petals began to fly around him.

"My conquest has already begun to blossom." Zigfried said and played his magic card, "Ride of the Valkyries."

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought the rose petals and flower pun was cheesy." Cat said.

"You're not alone." Kay said, looking at Zigfried with disgust.

Suddenly, four Valkyrie monsters appeared on the field and started to ride circles around Rex and Weevil's monsters.

A great whirlwind then rose around the two monsters and they were destroyed, wiping out Weevil and Rex's life points in one blow.

The four Valkyries disappeared.

Kaiba watched, openmouthed, shocked.

"And the winner, in one blow, is Zigfried Lloyd!" Roland announced.

Everyone was shocked!

"The first round of the tournament has come to a close! Round Two opens with the undefeated boy wonder, Leon Wilson, and the man-eater, Ethan Shark!" Roland announced, standing in the Kaiba Dome.

* * *

Everyone watched the announcements of the match-ups in the waiting room.

Joey ran to the screen.  
"Enough with the fancy intros and get to my duel!" He cried to Roland at the screen.

"Oh yeah…Joey's a perfect model of patience." Kay said with sarcasm.

"Joey, you might want to take this time to run through your game strategy." Yugi said, pointing out that everyone else in the waiting room was studying their decks.

"It couldn't hurt." Yugi said.

Honda threw his arm around Joey's shoulder. "Joey hates cramming, which is too bad. Because he's about to get schooled by that freakaziod who took out Weevil and Rex in one move!" He said, grinning.

Zigfried sat calmly off to the side, reading a book.

Cat made sure he couldn't see her.

"The only thing I'm scared of, is that hairdo!" Joey said and then turned to Zigfried. "Hey! Pinky the Clown called and wants his wig back!"

Zigfried simply ignored him.

"I don't think Joey's in any position to make fun of anyone's hairdo." Rebecca mummered.

Joey glared at Rebecca. "I heard dat!" He snapped.

"Settle down, Joey. You're too high-strung to duel." Duke said.

"What are you talkin' about?! I'm as cool as a cucumber!" Joey insisted.

"Oh yeah…real cool." Honda said with sarcasm. Joey turned to him. "That's it!" He snapped and the two boys started to scuffle.

"Hey you two! Grow up!" Anzu said and tried to stop them, but instead, got knocked back by a stray elbow and hit the wall.  
She glared at them. "I need female friends!" She cried.

(No joke…she says that like…throughout the whole season. )

As the two boys continued to scuffle, Anzu noticed that Leon seemed kind of quiet.

"Leon, are you alright?" She asked.

Leon smiled at her.  
"Yeah…I guess I just have a case of the pre-duel jitters." He said. "I guess we can't all be as calm as Joey."

Joey finally broke away from Honda and turned to Leon.

"You can't be too bad if you made it this far! You should just do what you do and believe you're going to win!" He said to him.

"I'm afraid to win…because then I'll have to face off against Yugi." Leon admitted.

Yugi looked a little surprised at Leon's words.

"Just take it one duel at a time." Joey said.

"That's right. It's too soon to worry about the championship duel. Besides, you'll have to duel me before you can get to Yugi." Rebecca said with a smile.

Leon laughed lightly. "Go easy on me."

Zigfried observed them from under his bangs while Leon told Rebecca that she can be brutal.

He then stopped to notice that Cat and Kay started to wonder away from the group.

After a moment, he smiled, closing the book and getting up to follow them.

* * *

"You know what Cat? I'm starting to wonder why we haven't dueled yet." Kay said.

"Yeah…I'm starting to wonder a little myself." Cat agreed. "We'll have to ask Mokuba next time we see him."

"Yes, we will." Kay nodded and they stopped in front of the woman's restroom.

"Do you mind waiting out here? I'll be right back."

Cat laughed a little. "Okay, sure." She said as Kay walked into the restroom.

Cat leaned against the wall, opposite of the restroom, a little to the left of it.

She had closed her eyes until she heard footsteps. But she didn't open her eyes. She faintly wondered if someone was wandering around…or if one of their friends came to tell them that the duels started or something. All she knew was that the hallway was pretty deserted.

"My, my, my…we just keep running into each other, don't ve?"

Cat's eye popped open and she whipped her head in the direction of the voice to find Zigfried.

The nervous feeling returned to haunt her.

"O-Oh, yes…I guess we do." Cat said with a weak smile.

Zigfried smiled and continued to move towards her.

Cat's shoulder tensed up as he did so.

"I'm still surprised that a singer, such as yourself, would be in a duelists championship tournament." Zigfried said, standing in front of her, trapping her between him and the wall.

Cat leaned against the wall nervously. "Well…I came to support my friends…and I was invited to participate. I just haven't been set in a match yet." She said in an uneasy voice.

"I see." Zigfried said before reaching out and touching her face. "Am I making you nervous, dear?"

Cat felt her body freeze up and she could have sword she had turned pale.

This…guy…was…touching…her…FACE!

Zigfried chuckled, took her hand and kissed it.

"I must leave now, my dear. My duel is about to start against your friend, Joey. I'll see you there." He said before walking away.

Cat was now completely frozen. She remained that way until a few minutes later; Kay walked out of the restroom.

"I'm back. Sorry if I took so…long?" She stopped and stared at her friend. "Uh…Cat? You okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Cat remained silent.

Kay blinked and waved her hand in front of her face. "Cat?" She asked.

There was finally movement.

Cat shook. "He…h-h-h-h-e…kissed…my HAND!" She cried before running into the bathroom, desperately washing her hand.

Kay stuck her head in the bathroom and watched her friend.

"Uh…who did?" She asked.

When Cat was finished she marched out. "Nevermind! All I know is that my cheek and my hand will NEVER be clean anymore! We'd better hurry back. They're probably going to start the duel soon." She said and walked down the hallway, Kay following her, still looking confused.

As they returned to their friends, Mokuba entered the room.

"Okay everyone, it's time to get this show on the road!" He said.

Everyone started to leave.

Joey stopped Zigfried and offered a hand. "Hey, good luck out there." He said.

Zigfried ignored the offered handshake. "Unlike you, I don't rely on luck." He simply said before walking away.

Joey blinked and then ran after him. "I was just tryin' to be nice!" He growled and stopped Zigfried again. "Where I come from, you show your opponent some respect!"

Zigfried only laughed and continued to walk.

Joey glared at him and ran after him again, intending to fight back, but Zigfried sidestepped him and Joey fell to the ground.

Joey jumped back to his feet, really angry now.

"Joey…maybe you should stop." Yugi said.

Zigfried continued to walk away.  
"If I ver you, I'd listen to your little friend." He said.

"Yeah? Well you're not me!" Joey snapped.

"And if I were, then I'd be a street pink with no talent and an appalling taste in outerwear." Zigfried replied calmly.

"Bring it on, then!" Joey snapped.

"I've wasted enough time with you already." Zigfried said and continued to walk.

Honda restrained Joey from going after Zigfried. "Save it for the duel!" He said.

Joey shrugged him off and stormed off.

"It's time to beat the designer pants off that chump!" He growled.

Duke sighed and shook his head. "Joey had better get a grip or he'll be history. The duel hasn't even started and already Zigfried's messing with his head." He said.

"I'd better head off to my match too." Rebecca said almost sadly.

"Are you alright?" Yugi asked.

"I know that Joey needs you, but that means you won't be there to watch my duel. But there's a bright side! I'm planning to stay in the tournament until the very end, so you'll have plenty of chances to root for me!" Rebecca said and ran off.

"Go get 'em!" Yugi called after her.

"Hey! Yugi, Cat, Kay, Kate, Duke, Anzu, c'mon! Joey's going to need all the help he can get to beat Zigfried." Honda said.

But before the seven could leave, Mokuba stopped them.

"Yugi, I need to speak with you right away." He said. "Have you noticed any strange behavior from any of the competitors?"

"I don't think so. What's going on?" Yugi asked.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone. If word of this gets out, it could ruin the Grand Championship and our whole company." Mokuba said.

Yugi and everyone promised not to say anything.

"You remember when the DuelTek computer went berserk and locked us inside the Kaiba Dome?

Afterwards, I asked my brother if the system was secure now." Mokuba said.

* * *

_"I'll reinforce the firewall, so that no one can break in from the outside. But I have a bad feeling that the person we're after is already on the inside." Kaiba said._

_"How could anyone have snuck in without us noticing?" Mokuba asked._

_"No one snuck in. We invited the hacker in. When I find out who's out to ruin me, they'll pay for this!" Kaiba said and started to run background checks on all the duelists._

_"Mokuba, I'm counting on you to keep an eye out for suspicious activities."_

* * *

"Who do you think the hacker is?" Yugi asked.

"I don't have the slightest clue. That's why I need you and the others' help. You have to let me know if you notice anything strange." Mokuba said.

"Alright…but you do realize strange things happen to us all the time." Anzu said to Mokuba.

Yugi sighed. "I was hoping that this time would be different! Just once I'd like to duel in a tournament for the thrill of it, and not have to worry about who's trying to take over the world!" He said in frustration.

Yami appeared in spirit to try and calm Yugi down.

"Why can't things just be easy for a change? We should be having fun, instead of hunting down bad guys!" Yugi continued.

"Don't worry. We'll find the hacker soon. We're not going to let some punk ruin this tournament." Mokuba assured him.

"You can count on us to help out." Kay said.

"Yeah! Now let's get out of here and watch Joey's duel and do what we do best! Cheer from the sidelines!" Honda said.

Yugi still looked a little sad at first, but then smiled and nodded.

"Look on the bright side. There's never a dull moment." Cat said to Yugi while Vivian watched them from the woman's restroom.

She smiled to herself.

Yugi walked next to Cat.

"Hey Cat…when you and Kay were taking a walk…did you run into anyone strange?" Yugi asked.

Cat blinked nervously and looked at him. "Why do you ask?" She asked.

"Well…I couldn't help but notice that after you two walked off, Zigfried followed you two after a moment." Yugi said.

Cat looked away from Yugi, smiling nervously. "Well…er…I…" She stuttered, starting to sweat profusely.

"Cat…you're not hiding anything from me, are you?"

Cat looked back at him. "U-uh! Why would you worry about something like that Yug-…"  
When Cat looked back in Yugi's direction…she wasn't facing Yugi anymore…she was facing Yami.

Cat immediately blushed and jumped up against a wall. "Y-Y-Yami-kun!" She cried. "W-what brings you here?" She asked before laughing dumbly.

Yami sweatdropped a little. "Okay…now I'm worried." He mummered.

"Hey! What are you two doing? Are you coming or not?" Kay called after them.

When Kay called to them, Yugi took over again. "Coming!" He replied and started to walk back to them.

Cat stayed pressed against the wall for a moment more before following him as well.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit.

"Cat's acting a little strange." He said.

"Do you think it has something to do with Zigfried?" Yugi asked.

Yami frowned. "I wouldn't doubt that at all." He muttered.


	61. Virus!

"The next bouts are under way! Facing off in the house of horror are Leon Wilson and Ethan Shark! Then it's showtime in the Kaiba Land Theater, as Detective Paul McGregor faces Balfry Ginger! We now move to the Wheel of Wonder, where regional champion Rebecca Hawkins faces Abe the Monkey Boy! And finally, in the Volcanic Pit, trendsetter Zigfried Lloyd squares off against Jonouchi Katsuya!" Roland announced the next duels in the Kaiba Dome.

* * *

Joey arrived at his dueling area in a Blue-Eyes White Dragon train car.

Zigfried was already waiting.

"Okay Ziggy! It's time to get down to business!" Joey said to Zigfried just as everyone else arrived on a Blue-Eyes White Dragon train car as well.

"Don't start without us!" Honda said as they all jumped out of the cart to join Joey.

"Hey! It's about time you guys showed up!" He said to them and turned back to Zigfried, glaring at him.

They approached each other to shuffle each other's decks.

"May the best-dressed duelist win." Zigfried said to Joey.

"The whole world can see you shaking in your patent leather shoes!" Joey said.

Zigfried glanced up and spotted Cat among the rest. He gave her a strange smile and Cat twitched, making a nervous face.

Yugi watched Cat, for he had noticed the smile Zigfried gave her. Yami watched her in spirit form as well.

"I think it's safe to say that those two have ran into each other more than once…and Cat doesn't seem very comfortable." Yami said.

Yugi nodded. "Yeah." He agreed.

Zigfried stopped looking at Cat and turned to glance at the camera broadcasting the duel.

* * *

Kaiba sat in his office, watching the duelists intently.

* * *

Zigfried continued to watch the camera as she shuffled Joey's deck.

"Uh, I think you've shuffled it enough." Joey said and for some reason, got mad all over again as Zigfried calmly handed it back.

"Hey Joey! Don't let Zigfried get to you!" Honda called to Joey.

"Just stay calm!" Yugi added.

Joey stalked back to his side of the field. "Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get dirty?" He asked Zigfried.

"I won't even break a sweat on you." Zigfried replied.

Then…all the duelists activated their duel disks…and the second round started.

"Since you're at such a disadvantage, you should make the first move." Zigfried calmly told Joey.

"Stay focused, Joey!" Duke called to Joey as he drew.

He gulped as he looked at his hand. He didn't have a single monster to play!

"It seems you're beginning to sweat. Is it the molten lava, or something else?" Zigfried asked Joey.

Joey grumbled as he played on card face down and ended his turn.

"Is that all he's going to play?" Anzu asked.

"I have a feeling that's all he can play." Kay said.

Honda covered his eyes. "I can't watch!" He said.

Zigfried drew. "Watch and learn." He said to Joey and played Graceful Charity. He also ended his turn by playing one card face down.

"Doesn't look like Zigfried has a good hand either." Cat said.

Honda tried to look proud. "I knew we had nothing to worry about." He said.

Yugi watched silently.

"That's very strange." Yami said in spirit form.

"I don't trust that guy. I think he's setting Joey up for some kind of trap." Yugi said.

"Yes…I just hope Joey figures it out." Yami said before looking a little angry. "Besides…I never trusted that guy ever since I first laid eyes on him."

Yugi sweatdropped. "Still sore about that, are we?" He asked.

Joey laughed. "I actually thought you would win in one move like you did the last time! But you couldn't even summon a monster!" He laughed.

Zigfried only glanced at the camera again.

"_I though you would be onto me by now, Heir Kaiba._" Zigfried thought to himself. "_Maybe you just need a little hint._"  
Zigfried pulled back his sleeve to check his watch. "It's showtime." He said.

Kaiba jumped up from his chair as his computer screens went crazy.

Joey drew a card. "It's time to turn up the heat!" He said.

And right after he said that, gouts of flaming lava shot up around them!

Joey jumped out of the way of the flames. "Not THAT hot!" He cried.

"It's a little too realistic!" Cat pointed out.

"Mokuba! Would you mind turning down the flames?" Honda asked.

"There's on small problem…this isn't a part of the attraction!" Mokuba cried.

"If Kaiba Corps not controlling these flames, then who is?" Kay asked.

"That's what I would like to know!" Mokuba replied.

* * *

Rebecca faced of against Abe the Monkey Boy.

"What should I do, monkey?" Abe asked the monkey on his shoulder.

The monkey stared at his hand for a moment before picking a card.

"Alright! You're the smart one!" Abe said.

But before they could play the card, the giant Ferris wheel they were riding began to toss!

Rebecca ran to the window of their cart to see that the entire wheel was spinning out of control!

* * *

Detective Paul McGregor drew a card. "I've clued into your strategy." He said to his opponent, Balfry Ginger.

Then all of the sudden, the theater's curtain came down, leaving them in the complete, pitch black dark, wide-eyed and blinking, confused.

* * *

In Leon's duel, visions begin flashing around Leon and Ethan Shark.

"This house is haunted for real!" Leon exclaimed.

* * *

"We're experiencing technical difficulties, everyone please stand by!" Roland announced in the Kaiba Dome.

* * *

Kaiba worked desperately at his terminal. "This is impossible!" He cried.

Roland burst into Kaiba's office. "Sir! We've got trouble!" He cried.

"I'm on it!" Kaiba said.

"How could have this happened?" Roland asked. "The entire system is down!"

All of the sudden, Kaiba's screen displayed a Virus Alert.

"I secured the entire network after our last attack! There's no way someone could break in again! Not even a computer genius!" Kaiba exclaimed and looked at one of the dueling screens, looking at Rebecca who was struggling to her feet in the caroming car.

"Was it that cybergeek, Rebecca Hawkins?" He asked himself. "No…not even she could pull off something of this magnitude! The only person I know who could pull off a brilliant scheme like this is…myself!"

After a moment of thinking he jumped slightly.

He suddenly remembered a party given by his adopted father a long time ago!

* * *

_"Mr. Gozaburo, your son, Seto is the talk of the town." A man with a German accent said to Gozaburo. "My son, too, is a prodigy."_

_Young Seto looked at the boy in front of him…it was a young Zigfried!_

_"Why don't we spice things up a bit?" Young Zigfried asked Seto._

_Just then, all of the lights began to flash._

_"There must have been a short." Gozaburo said._

_Then one of Gozaburo's employees, Kemo, walked up to him._

_"Sir...our mainframe has been infected." He whispered into Gozaburo's ear._

_Gozaburo jumped back. "There must be some mistake! The KC mainframe is protected by a fail-safe system! No one can get in!" He cried._

_Seto looked at the other boy in surprise._

_"I dabble in technology...I guess that when you spend all your time alone, you tend to tinker in your own little project. I'm sure you know how it is." The Young Zigfried said to Seto._

* * *

"It can't be!" Kaiba cried.


	62. He's MISSING!

As time passed, the duel between Joey and Zigfried continued.

* * *

"Mr. Kaiba! We have isolated the virus and rebuilt the mainframe hard drive! If you will do the honors, sir, we'll be back in business." A message came to Kaiba.

Kaiba sat down and entered a commanded to initiate the backup system.

All of the sudden, everything started to cool down.

* * *

The Ferris wheel stopped and Rebecca and Abe's car came to a rest. They sighed in relief and Rebecca smiled. "Now, where was I?" She asked, continuing the duel.

Back at the Volcanic Pit, the flames finally subsided.

"I'd hate to see the gas bill." Honda said.

"I should check with Seto." Mokuba said before dashing off.

"Congratulations Heir Kaiba for stopping the virus. You've saved the day…or so you think." Zigfried thought to himself.

* * *

Kaiba sat at his desk, watching the duels on his screens. "It looks like the computer whiz kid who broke into my father's company is all grown up. And he's back to his old tricks again." He said to himself before turning to Roland. "Roland! Run another background check on Zigfried Lloyd! I need to know if he's connected to the Schroeder family. Right now that freak is my number one suspect. He reminds me of a kid I once met."

He turned back to the screens as Roland went of to do his duty.

"That kid had the most dangerous programming skills I've ever seen." Kaiba mummered to himself.

* * *

It was a while…until Joey had lost the duel.

Roland had announced Zigfried the winner.

Everyone gathered around Joey.

"Big deal, so you lost the duel on a lousy game of chance." Honda said trying to cheer him up.

"Joey just must have ran out of luck." Duke added in.

"Nah, Joey win's his duels with talent, not luck." Anzu said.

"Okay then…so Joey didn't lose because he ran out of luck, he lost because he ran out of talent." Kay said with a grin.

Joey looked furious and turned to his friends. "Is THIS how you plan to cheer me up?!" He cried. "It's time for me to spread a little cheer of my OWN!" He started going after his friends as they ran away laughing.

"Joey did a great job. And sooner or later, he's going to learn to control his temper." Yugi said as he watched his friends.

Yami appeared next to him in spirit. "Probably later." He said with a smile.

Joey continued to run after the others. "I GET NO RESPECT!" He complained.

Yugi laughed and paused. "Where's Cat?" He asked.

He turned around to see that Zigfried had confronted her again.

"Wasn't that an amazing duel, my dear? I hope I will be able to duel against you soon." Zigfried said to Cat with a sly smile.

Cat was getting that uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach again.

"Zigfried…why do you keep approaching me like this?" She asked, trying not to show her uneasiness.

Zigfried looked a little puzzled at the question before grinning again. This time, it seemed a little more intense.

Cat felt her heart catch in her throat as he leaned forward.

"When one finds a beautiful wild flower, isn't it only natural to take it and add it to their garden?" He asked.

Cat tried to lean away from him. What did he mean by that anyways?

All of the sudden, Cat felt someone grab her from behind! And before she knew it, she was lifted off the ground and heaved over someone's shoulder!

"Wha? WHA?" She asked, shocked at what happened.

Yami glared intensely at Zigfried as he held onto Cat who was still confused and shocked.

"I don't know why you keep coming to her…but I don't trust you. If you bother her again, you'll have me to worry about." Yami said to Zigfried in a serious tone.

Zigfried blinked in surprised before smirking. "Oh, you look so scary right now! What will I do? The "King of Games" is angry with me! Whatever will I do?" He said, faking fear before returning to his normal stature. "I'll have you know, I do no fear you, Yugi. Remember that."  
Zigfried turned and left.

Yami glared at him as he left before turning back and headed to the Blue-eyes White dragon carts they came in with.

Cat was blushing when she had realized it was Yami that grabbed her.

"What did he say to you?" Yami asked.

"What?" Cat asked.

"What did he say to you?" Yami repeated.

"I-I'm not sure what he meant by it…but when I asked him why he keeps confronting me, he asked me that isn't it natural when one finds a beautiful wild flower, to take it and add it to their garden." Cat replied.

Yami frowned and put her down when they had reached their friends. He looked at her sternly.

"Don't ever be alone with him ever again. If we're not around and he comes, run away. And if he comes when we are around, come to one of us. Or me." He said before switching with regular Yugi.

Anzu looked a little annoyed at the scene of Yami carrying Cat over his shoulder.

Yugi smiled and Cat and laughed a little. "Don't worry about it Cat. The Pharaoh isn't mad at you. I think he doesn't trust that guy and he's a little worried about you." He said to Cat.

Cat smiled back with a small smile.  
"Thank you." She said.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Honda said as everyone started to board the carts.

As Cat headed to one, Kay jumped up and threw an arm around her neck.

"Well, WELL! What was THAT scene all about?" She asked, grinning.

Cat blushed and made Kay let go of her. "K-Kay-chan! Geez! He did it on his own!" She said.

"Yeah, I know." Kay said, still grinning. "But I would presume that my theory is correct! He DOES have a thing for you!"

Cat blushed a little brighter. "Kay-chan! He only sees me as a good friend! Anyone else would have done the same thing!" She cried.

Kay rolled her eyes. "I don't think me or any of the girls would have picked you up…but I didn't see Joey coming to your rescue. I didn't see Honda or Duke come to your rescue either. And even normal Yugi didn't come." She said, smiling.

Cat remained silent before sighing.

"Whatever. Yami-kun's just protective of me, is all. Because he knows I tend to get caught in trouble a lot…" Cat said almost looking embarrassed.

Kay grinned as she jumped into one of the carts. "Yeah…but it still doesn't change my mind." She said.

Cat heaved another sigh as she jumped into a cart as well.

* * *

"The KC Grand Championship is heating up! We're moving to the semifinals! Where Rebecca Hawkins, Balfry Ginger, Leon Wilson, and Zigfried Lloyd will duke it out for a shot at the international Duel Monsters champion, Yugi Muto!" Roland announced in the Kaiba Dome to the cheering crowd.

One of Kaiba's employees entered the control room, where Kaiba and Mokuba were.

"We've conducted an in-depth investigation of Zigfried Lloyd. It appears Zigfried has participated in over fifty tournaments in the last three years, each time ranking in the top five. But our research revealed almost nothing about personal background or family history. And there's no record of any connection with the Schroeder family." The employee reported.

"So this Zigfried has been winning tournaments around the world, and no one knows anything about him?" Kaiba asked.

"Apparently, he gains entry into these tournaments with letters of recommendation from local politicians. I've compiled a list with dozens of names, but none were available for comment." The employee said.

"They just need some incentive." Kaiba said, taking the list and looked through the names. He paused and grinned. "Number 13. Question that man again. And if he still refuses to make him an offer he can't refuse." He said, handing the employee the list back.

The employee left and Kaiba looked back at the screens.

"I've got you by the tail, Zigfried." He said to the screens.

* * *

Rebecca walked down the path to where her duel was going to take place. She stopped beside a terminal showing the duel results.  
"Joey lost against Zigfried?" She asked herself in surprise. "Oh…poor Joey. Wait! But since Joey's out of the tournament, Yugi will be free to cheer for me from now on! Yes!" She smiled and continued to her duel.

* * *

Everyone left the Volcanic Pit and arrived at the train station. Everyone got out except for Joey, who was still sulking about his loss against Zigfried.

"I was knocked out of the tournament by a guy with PINK HAIR!" He cried in anguish.

"Uh, yeah. A guy with pink hair who's an expert duelist!" Honda pointed out.

"I wanna be numba one!" Joey wailed.

"Oh, grow up! There will be other duels!" Kay said.

"YOU'RE not the one who's runner up every year!" Joey snapped back at Kay.

"You're right! I win all my duels!" She said.

Joey glared at her.

"Well…they both got a point." Honda said. "In some ways."

"Think of it this way. Every match you lose, makes you a better duelist." Yugi said to Joey, hoping it would make him feel better.

"Then Joey should the best by now." Honda said with sarcasm.

Suddenly, Professor Hawkins ran up to the station. "Yugi! It's your grandfather!" He cried.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked.

"Did Grandpa ever make it to the medical center after he threw his back out?" Duke asked.

"Solomon WAS there…" He said as he started to tell what happened.

* * *

_Grandpa curled up in his hospital bed, groaning in pain._

_"I'll get the doctor." Professor Hawkins said. "Don't move, alright?"_

_Professor Hawkins left to find the doctor, but he was suddenly distracted by a terminal showing Rebecca's duel!_

_"Oh good! I haven't missed it!" He cried happily. "Yes! Go Rebecca! That's my granddaughter!" He cheered and urged her on._

_But then he paused. "Oh yes! The doctor! I almost forgot!" He said before returning to his first task._

_But when Professor Hawkins and the Doctor returned to Grandpa's room, he was GONE!_

* * *

"I wish I hadn't been distracted." Professor Hawkins said, looking ashamed.

"Don't sweat it! I'm sure Gramps is fine!" Joey said, smiling. "He probably went out to get something to eat!"

"But Solomon was bearly able to move a muscle, so there's no way he could have gotten out of bed!" Professor Hawkins protested.  
"Maybe someone came and helped him?" Anzu suggested.

"But who?" Kate asked.

"Maybe it was a secret admirer!" Honda suggested.  
Anzu hit him over the head. "Be serious!" She snapped.

"We need a plan. Grandpa might be in real trouble." Cat said.

"Yeah! Grandpa has the worse luck of anyone I know!" Joey said.

They all stopped when they saw how worried Yugi looked.

"Yugi…I'm sure your grandfather is fine." Kate said to him, smiling.

Everyone else agreed.

Yugi gave everyone a small smile. "Thanks." He said.

"You should go cheer for Rebecca." Cat said to Professor Hawkins.

"We'll catch up later, as soon as we find Yugi's Grandpa." Duke said.

"Thank you and good luck." Professor Hawkins said.

"Tell Rebecca we're all rooting for her!" Yugi said to him as everyone split up.

Rebecca arrived at her next duel area.

"Oh…there's no one here to root for me." She mummered in a disappointed way.

"Rebecca!" Professor Hawkins said, running up to her.

"Grandpa!" She cried happily. "Where's Yugi?"

"Yugi had to deal with a situation. But he'll be here as soon as he can. But you need to focus on your duel. By the way, Yugi said that they're all rooting for you." Professor Hawkins said.

Rebecca smiled. "He really said that?" She asked happily.

"Yes. Now let's go! We have a duel to go to!" Professor Hawkins said as they entered the tiny town with buildings that came up to Rebecca's waist.

"Wow! I feel tall for once in my life!" She said, smiling and running through the tiny streets. "It's just like our town, only everything's mini!"

She stopped to see a full-sized boy lying on the playing field.

Professor Hawkins came to join her.  
"Amazing! The detail on these statues are incredible!" He said, looking at the boy.

Suddenly, the boy sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey! That's not a statue! It's Leon." Rebecca laughed.

Leon gave them a small smile. "I must have dozed off." He said. "I was up all night practicing and I suppose I just needed a nap."

He stood up.

"When's Yugi going to show up?" He asked.

"Yugi will be here soon. But he'll be rooting for me, just so you know." Rebecca replied.

"What about your friends and family? Won't they be here?" Professor Hawkins asked Leon.

Leon shrugged lightly. "They were all to busy to come. But I'm used to being on my own." He replied, still smiling.

"Not this time." Professor Hawkins said, pointing out the fans arriving to come and cheer for both duelists.

Leon smiled at the cheering crowds. "We should make this the best duel our fans have ever seen!" He said to Rebecca.

"Yeah…but I still wish Yugi was here." Rebecca said.


	63. The Fraud

"HEY! GRAMPS! ARE YOU OUT HERE?" Joey called.

He wandered through the jungle with Kay, who was also calling for Grandpa Muto.

"Mr. MUTO!" Honda called as he looked around the train station.

"Where are you?" Cat called. She was looking for Grandpa Muto with Duke near the roller coaster.

"Where could he be?" Anzu asked herself as she searched the gardens.

Yugi and Kate ran by the trains, calling for Yugi's grandpa.

Suddenly, an announcement came on.

"A short, stocky, elderly gentleman in overalls and a black headband has been separated from his loved ones. If anyone has a lost grandpa, he's waiting for them at the main gate."

Yugi and Kate were at the jungle ruins by now. "That's my grandpa!" He exclaimed.

* * *

Everyone met at the main gate where the Blue-Eyes White Dragon statue was.

But…Grandpa wasn't there.

"Where is he?" Yugi asked.

"The announcement said he should be here." Cat said.

"I can help you." A soft voice said.

Everyone turned around to see a young girl their age.

She smiled. She looked an awful lot like Joey's younger sister, Shizuka! In fact, she looked exactly the same! Only her bangs were different, she wore a blue butterfly clip in her hair and a choker.

She also had blue eyes and she wore a white and blue vest with blue shorts, white socks and blue shoes.

"Who are you?" Anzu asked.

The girl smiled. "My name is Kanya. It's nice to meet you all." Kanya replied.

"Whoa! You look just like my younger sister!" Joey pointed out.

"I do? That's cool." She said. "Anyways, before we get started, what are all your names?"

"Oh! I'm Yugi, this is Joey, Cat, Kay, Anzu, Kate, Honda, and Duke." Yugi introduced them all.

"Nice to meet you all." Kanya smiled again. "Well…like I said before, I can help you guys out. I know where your grandfather is. Well…sort of. This scroll here may help." She pointed at a scroll that was tied to the Blue-Eyes' claw.

Yugi retrieved it.

"It's a map of Kaiba Land!" He said.

Everyone looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, you're right!" Kay said.

Cat pointed to a spot on the map. "And there's an X there…" She said.

"I'll bet you that's where Grandpa is!" Honda smiled before walking up to Kanya and taking her hands. "Hey, you're a big help! Thanks! Want to hang with us?" He asked Kanya.

Kanya blushed a little. "Um, uh, sure." She said quietly.

"There's something that bugs me though. Why would your grandpa page us to come here, run and hide and leave a map so we can find him? It doesn't sound like him. I think someone set up a trap for us." Duke said.

Everyone looked a little surprised.

"Well I ain't falling for any trap!" Joey cried.

"If we want to save Yugi's Grandpa, we may have to." Duke pointed out.

* * *

"It's the beginning of the semifinal round! First, it's Zigfried Lloyd against Balfry Ginger, facing off in Kaiba Corp's Galaxy Theater! The second match-up features the two youngest minors to ever join a major tournament! Rebecca Hawkins and Leon Wilson, dueling in Small Town USA!" Roland announced in the Kaiba Dome.

Kaiba watched from the control room, and the crowd cheered as the duelists began their duels.

It wasn't long until Zigfried had defeated Balfry Ginger.

"A victory just wasn't in the starts for you." Zigfried said to Balfry.

Roland announced Zigfried the winner as Zigfried smiled.

"Come and get me, Heir Kaiba." He thought to himself.

Kaiba watched from his control room with Mokuba beside him.

"I'm on to you, Zigfried." He grumbled.

* * *

Everyone ran down the street.

"Are we going the right way?" Honda wondered out loud.

"Only if that map is right!" Anzu replied. "Mr. Muto should be just around the corner!"

"I hope he's alright." Cat said.

"Me too." Yugi agreed.

Everyone else agreed as well.

They turned a corner and stopped.

"That's the place." Duke said, looking at the map and back at the building in front of them.

"A Chinese restaurant?!" Kay cried.

"While we were running like lunatics, Grandpa was eating won ton soup?!" Joey cried angrily.

Yugi stepped up to the door.

"Be careful." Kate said.

Yugi nodded and opened the door. "Grandpa?" He called inside.

All of the sudden, everyone gasped as they spotted Yugi's Grandpa!

He was in Chinese clothes and he striked a huge gong with a mallet.

Everyone had to cover their ears from the ringing noise as the interior lit up.

"Whoa! This is the biggest Chinese restaurant I've ever seen!" Kay exclaimed.

It was several stories high inside with balconies all around the building. And in the middle of the high ceiling, there was a carved dragon.

And the tables all around were set with all sorts of Chinese dishes.

Joey and Honda drooled before running towards the food.

"STOP!" A voice cried.

Joey and Honda froze in their tracks, looking up, where the voice came from.

It was…Vivian Wong?!

She was standing on the highest balcony in a kung-fu pose. "I didn't see your names on the guest list!" She said.

"It's Vivian!" They all exclaimed.

"She led us here?" Duke asked.

"But why?" Yugi asked.

"It's because Vivian's nuts." Kay, Kate and Anzu all said at the same time as they watched Vivian continue to prance about on the balcony she was on, holding a fan in each hand, making kicks and jumps.

"Hey! Why don't you come down here and tell us what's going on?" Joey called to her.

Promptly, Vivian hopped off the balcony.

Joey and Honda clutched each other in horror and everyone else gasped!

"Oh no! She's falling!" Joey cried but then calmed down for a moment." Really…slowly."

Vivian floated down towards the floor.

"Vivian's got a little helper." Kanya said, pointing out Grandpa Muto standing at the side, lowering Vivian down on a rope.

Grandpa then noticed them staring at him.

"Grandpa?" Yugi asked.

"This is getting weird!" Joey cried.

"Grandpa, what are you doing?" Yugi asked.

Grandpa became flustered and let go of the rope. "I-I can explain!" He cried.

Vivian cried out as she tumbled to the floor, landing face first.

She quickly stood up. "You had ONE simple JOB!" She snapped at Grandpa.

"I-I'm sorry! Please give me another chance!" Grandpa Muto begged.

"He works for her?" Joey asked.

"Grandpa, did Vivian kidnap you? Or did you plan this together?" Yugi asked.

"Forget about that old man. I want to talk about you, Yugi and myself." She said and snapped her fingers.

Grandpa hit the gong again.

"Welcome, Yugi! To the real Grand Champion tournament! Where you and I are going to duke it out for the crown!" Vivian said gleefully.

"Give it up!" Anzu said to her angrily.

"You had your chance!" Kate added in.

"And Rebecca canceled you out!" Kay finished.

"That's right. Only the winner of the tournament gets the title shot." Cat said calmly.

"And you already blew it." Duke added in.

"Yeah? Well I'm starting my own tournament! And the first match is me against Yugi!" Vivian protested.

"I'm sorry, but it's against Kaiba's tournament rules." Yugi said to her.

"Yugi! The right thing to do is duel Vivian." Grandpa Muto said to Yugi.

"Vivian must have hypnotized Gramps! That or…he has a crush on her." Joey said.

Grandpa Muto blushed and waved his hands. "L-Let me explain!" He cried. "After Professor Hawkins left my hospital room, Vivian came by!"

* * *

_"Are you Yugi's grandfather?" Vivian asked Grandpa, standing beside his bed._

_"I am." Grandpa Muto replied, looking up at her, red faced._

_"Will you listen to my request? I might be able to help you, if you help me." She said._

_"I'll do anything!" Grandpa replied._

_Vivian smiled and got into a kung-fu pose. And with one swift chop to his back, his back was put back into place! Even though…Grandpa Muto made it quite clear that it hurt…a lot!_

* * *

"If it hadn't been for Vivian, I wouldn't be standing here! So I owe her a favor. And that's why I led you kids here." Grandpa Muto finished explaining.

"And you turned your back on your grandson." Honda added.

"I heard that!" Grandpa cried.

"To think I once looked up to Gramps! He's forgotten what's important!" Joey said.

"You're right." Yugi agreed.

Grandpa slumped, starting to feel bad.

"I'm sorry…you kids are right." He said.

"Oh? Going back on our deal, huh?" Vivian asked him angrily before hitting him in the back, causing his back to go out again.

Grandpa Muto curled up on the floor, moaning in pain again.

"If you want your Grandpa to walk upright again, you'll have to duel me." Vivian said to Yugi.

"That's a dirty trick!" Joey cried.

"I know! I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner!" Vivian agreed and jumped up on top of one of the tables. "What will it be? Your Grandfather, or me?"

"Yugi, don't worry! We can save Grandpa without her help!" Joey said.

"I don't know how though." Yugi said.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit form. "Your Grandpa needs us. We have no choice but to duel." He said.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed before switching with him.

Yami jumped up onto one of the tables as well, ready to duel.

"I knew you couldn't resist my charm." Vivian said with a grin.

Cat frowned a little. She was starting to get on her nerves as well.

"Here's the deal. If I lose, I'll fix your Grandfather's back. But if I win, you and me go on a date!" Vivian said.

Anzu and Kate started to steam.

"Yugi DOESN'T LIKE YOU AND HE NEVER WILL!" They both shouted at Vivian.

"Whoa…calm down there you two." Joey said, sweatdropping.

"Fine, I accept." Yami said.

"It's no problem. Yugi can duel circles around her." Duke said.

"Don't count on it!" Vivian said.

And they started their duel.

It was a while later and it seemed a bit obvious that Joey and Honda were hungry. They were busy stuffing their faces with the Chinese food.

Anzu threw a stuffed toy panda at them. "How can you two be eating now?" She snapped. "Yugi needs us!"

"Relax and try the chicken!" Honda said with a grin.

"Yeah! This food is great!" Joey said.

Anzu sighed and gave up. "What kind?" She asked annoyed.

"Sesame!" The two boys said at the same time.

Kay looked down at the two boys. "You guys are HOPELESS." She said.

But it wasn't long until the duel was over. Yami had won.

Yami then switched with Yugi as Vivian fell to her knees, crying.

"Okay Vivian. Pay up." Yugi said. "Grandpa's waiting."

Grandpa Muto was still curled up on the floor in pain. "Thank you Yugi." He said.

The gang finally made it to Rebecca's duel but it wasn't long after until she lost.

At the Kaiba Dome, Leon was announced the winner.

* * *

And one of Kaiba's employees came into the control room where Kaiba was.  
"We've completed our investigation of Zigfried Lloyd and it seems you're assumptions were correct." He said.

Kaiba looked at the screens, showing the duels.  
"Zigfried's little game is over." He said.

* * *

Rebecca hung her head.

"Don't sweat it. You played a great duel." Leon said, trying to make her feel better.

"I don't need your pity. But thank you anyways. And don't let it go to your head. There's a long way to go." Rebecca said to him.

Yugi hopped over one of the little houses to join Rebecca. "You did great. Good job." He said.

"Thank you, Yugi!" She said happily before she started to cry and flung herself onto him. "I wanted to win so badly!"

"Why must she be so dramatic?" Grandpa Muto asked.

"Look who's talking!" Joey, Honda, Duke, Anzu, and Kay all said to him at the same time.

Grandpa put on a defeated grin as Rebecca continued to cry on Yugi's shoulder.

* * *

"We are now at the final duel of the KC Grand Championship! It will be between Leon Wilson and Zigfried Lloyd! The winner of this bout will face Yugi Muto for the championship crown! History may be made in the next few hours, here in the Kaiba Dome!" Roland announced.

The Dome opened up, letting sunlight enter the arena. "Let the KC Grand Championship finals begin!" Roland cried into the microphone.

All of the sudden, everyone paused as they noticed a helicopter flying above everyone with Kaiba suspended from it on a ladder.

Everyone watched openmouthed.

"What's HE doing here?" Joey asked.

"Just dropping by?" Yugi suggested.

"He wasn't scheduled to be here, though!" Mokuba added in.

Kay blushed lightly as she stared at Kaiba, but stopped as she looked over to Cat who was grinning at her. Kay frowned and looked the other way.

"Caught you again." Cat giggled.

The helicopter lowered Kaiba to the dueling arena where he jumped down and set down his metal briefcase. He was in his normal trench coat clothes.

"Stop the duel! As president of Kaiba Corp., I declare this match invalid!" He announced.

The crowed started to give cries of disappointment and confusment.

"What? He can't rip us off like that!" Joey cried.

"I don't get it." Leon said.

"As a result of disqualification, the winner of this duel is Leon Wilson!" Kaiba continued.

"What's going on?" Honda asked Mokuba.  
"I honestly don't know." Mokuba replied.

"Is there any particular reason for this?" Zigfried asked Kaiba, innocently.

"You broke my tournament contract by entering the tournament under a false name! Your real name is Zigfried von Schroeder, of the Schroeder Corporation!" Kaiba said to him angrily.

Yugi turned to his Grandpa.

"Wasn't that an old gaming company?" Yugi asked him.

"It still is. You just don't hear about it much anymore. Once Kaiba Corp. became number one, everyone forgot about the Schroeders." Grandpa replied.

"Do you think Zigfried joined to get revenge?" Anzu asked.

"Most likely. And according to recent events, he's here for "someone else" as well." Yugi said, looking at Cat who looked down at her lap, looking a little uncomfortable.

"I never trusted you from the start! And my instincts are never wrong!" Kaiba continued to snap at Zigfried. "It all makes sense! Kaiba Corp's biggest rival joins the tournament and suddenly everything goes haywire! Coincidence? I don't think so. But since I'm a nice guy, I won't have you arrested for trespassing and fraud, under one condition. You get out of my life and take your bad hair with you!"

Grandpa Muto sweatdropped because he entered under a false name as well.

Kay sweatdropped. "There he goes. I can see the word "Egoman" forming on Kaiba's back…again." She said with a dull smile.  
(Heheh, Shout-out to you, Kay-chan! XD)

"If you ever come near me again, I'll destroy what's left of your pathetic company!" Kaiba snapped.

Zigfried only laughed. "So you've finally exposed to the public for what you are…a complete coward! The truth is that you're afraid of my superior skills, so you're hiding behind a technicality instead of facing me. And now the whole world knows!" He said. "But I don't blame you for throwing me out. You know that if I won the tournament and became the world champion, you would never get the title back."

Kaiba only smiled in a proud way. "I'm throwing you out because I don't like you. Not because I'm scared of you." He said calmly. "I promised myself I wouldn't duel in this tournament, but now that I have the chance to embarrass you, those plans have changed!"

"Kaiba's going to duel Zigfried!" Yugi cried.

"There's never a dull moment." Rebecca sighed.


	64. The Final Match

"Fine. I accept your challenge. But if I win, I get to stay." Zigfried said.

"And if you lose, you disappear, never to be heard from again." Kaiba said.

"I don't know about this…" Yugi said in an unsure way.

"I'm sure my brother will win!" Mokuba said.

"Roland. Hold my briefcase." Kaiba said as he took his deck and duel disk out of the briefcase. "This shouldn't take long."

"Are you sure you want to go through this?" Kaiba asked Zigfried as Kaiba plugged his Duel Disk to his dueling platform.

"I wouldn't miss the chance to destroy my arch-rival in front of the entire world." Zigfried answered.

They shuffled each other's decks.

"So, who should go first? There's only one fair way to decide." Zigfried said, flipping a coin.

"It's your call." Kaiba said.

"I choose heads." Zigfried said and looked at the coin, which was indeed heads.

"Ah, lucky me. But since I'm feeling kind, you can go first, Heir Kaiba."

"I never knew you were so kind. I'll have to return the favor." Kaiba said sarcastically.

"There's no need." Zigfried said.

"I insist." Kaiba replied.

"There has been a slight change of plans! The tournament host, Seto Kaiba, will face off against Zigfried von Schroeder!" Roland announced to the crowd.

"Seto! Show this circus freak who's boss!" Mokuba shouted to Kaiba.

"Yeah! Get rid of his pink hair!" Kay shouted along with Mokuba.

Everyone sweatdropped.

Leon joined everyone. "What's next?" He asked. "Am I going to duel against Yugi or Zigfried?"

"I guess it depends on how well Kaiba does in this next duel." Anzu said.

"I hope Kaiba wins." Leon said.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get your chance, no matter who wins." Cat said to him with a smile.

"Unless you want to give me your place in the tournament." Rebecca added in, grinning.

"I'll pass." Leon chuckled.

"As much as I can't stand Kaiba, anyone's better than that pink-haired sideshow freak, Zigfried." Joey said.

Everyone agreed.

The duel had begun.

The duel was getting intense. The duel has had non-stop action since the first move.

Things were starting too look pretty good for Kaiba and Zigfried looked furious.

"That's my bro! Always one step ahead!" Mokuba said, smiling.

"One step ahead? I swore that would never happen again!" He growled to himself quietly.

* * *

_"Seto Kaiba is a genius! Thanks to him, the gaming industry will never be the same!"_

_A bunch of businessmen were gathered around Kaiba and Pegasus, who were shaking hands._

_A younger Zigfried ran into the room with his briefcase…but he was too late._

_Flashbulbs flashed as people took Kaiba and Pegasus's picture. Before the two is a gaming table on which Kaiba's first holographic Duel Monsters system was displayed. It was a little holographic Battle Ox. It shimmered on the table._

_Zigfried fell to his knees, dropping his suitcase._

_"B-but…that was my idea!" He protested as his briefcase opened and the papers on the inside slide out, showing diagrams of a similar dueling system._

* * *

"You have beaten me to the punch for the last time!" Zigfried growled at Kaiba.

"What is your problem Zigfried? Are you jealous because I run a successful company and you don't?" Kaiba asked.

"You know as well as I do what this is about! Our companies have been rivals for generations and the Kaiba's always had the upper hand!" Zigfried snapped.

* * *

_"We're about the sign an international contract." Zigfried's father said to Gozaburo._

_They were at the party where Kaiba and Zigfried had first met._

_"You're too late. They've chosen Kaiba Corp." Gozaburo said._

* * *

"It was humiliating! In the Schroeder family, losing is not an option! So I decided to take matters into my own hands. My goal was simple. Boost Schroeder Corp. to number one and leave the Kaiba family in ruins!"

* * *

_Young Zigfried worked in a library and looked at a photo of himself and Seto that sat on the desk he was working on.  
He glared at the picture and angrily smashed it._

* * *

"That proved to be a task that neither me nor my father could accomplish. In fact, it drove my father mad. With my father unable to maintain the company, Schroeder Corp. fell under new management. My first act as company president was controversial. I decided to enter into the gaming industry. A business untapped by any other company." Zigfried continued.

* * *

_A young Zigfried entered his company's boardroom._

_"Um…sir…Kaiba Corp. has just announced that they've converted their company as well. Kaiba Corp. is now the largest full-scale gaming corporation." One of Zigfried's employee's said to him._

* * *

"From that moment on, I've devoted all of my time to game development, and one day, it happened! I succeeded in a landmark invention that would revolutionize the game of Duel Monsters! Holographic monster projection! But somehow, you managed to steal my invention and take all the credit, leaving me with nothing!" Zigfried snapped.

"Is that true?" Yugi asked.

"Justice will be served here today! Your company's reputation is in jeopardy, and Kaiba Corp. stock price is at an all-time low! When I defeat you, the world will see that the era of Kaiba Corp. is over!" Zigfried continued.

"Do you really believe that?" Kaiba asked.

"I bet the public has already turned on you, now that you've been exposed as a thief and a fraud!" Zigfried grinned evilly.

"It's too bad it's not true. Don't blame me because you came from a family of failures! I've never stolen anything in my life! I got where I am through hard work and determination!" Kaiba replied. "Now let's DUEL!"

"I'm glad you came, Zigfried. Because now I have a chance to publicly humiliate you again." Kaiba said smugly. "Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Attack Zigfried directly! Wipe out the rest of his life points!"

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon launched the attack and it was over. Zigfried lost the duel.

Zigfried fell to his knees.

"This ISN'T over!" He insisted as he held onto a magic card with a golden castle on it.

"Face it! You're life points hit zero! That's about as over as it gets. Now you should take what's left of your dignity and get lost!" Kaiba called to Zigfried.

Mokuba grinned. "Zigfried's history!" He said.

"Let's hope so." Yugi said.

Leon looked on sadly at the duel.

Kaiba laughed triumphantly.

"Can you believe that guy?! He entered the tournament just to publicly humiliate Kaiba!" Rebecca cried.

"Well, he did have his reasons." Leon said.

"But when Zigfried started endangering people's lives, he stepped over the line." Honda pointed out.

"I wonder if all that stuff Zigfried said about Kaiba stealing his invention was true. He seemed pretty bitter." Yugi wondered.

Yami appeared next to Yugi in spirit.

"Kaiba may be competitive, but he's not a thief. His accomplishments are a result of his drive and determination." He said.

The dueling stations descended to the arena floor and Kaiba jumped out.

"I think Zigfried was blinded by jealousy. He spent his entire life trying to outdo Kaiba, but he was always one step behind." Yami continued.

Kaiba started to walk away and Mokuba followed him.

"Hey bro! Awesome dueling!" He said with a smile.

"I hope that defeating that wannabe sent a message to the rest of our competitors that Kaiba Corp. is not a company to be messed with. Next time, I won't be so friendly." Kaiba said.

"Roland, announce the start of the championship match-up." Kaiba said, stopping next to Roland.

"Should we have security remove Zigfried from the park?" Roland asked.

"That won't be necessary. I want Zigfried to see what he missed out on, so give him a good seat for the next duel." Kaiba said and laughed again before stopping. "Funny."

Zigfried fumed as Kaiba and Mokuba headed off.

"The final match of the Grand Championship, featuring the boy wonder, Leaping Leon Wilson!" Roland announced to the cheering crowd.

Leon looked a little nervous as the crowd around him cheered for him.

"Leon will be facing off against the reigning international Duel Monsters champion, the King of Games, Yugi Muto!" Roland finished. "This will be a duel to remember!"

Kay clapped for them before pausing. "H-HEY! Wait a minute! Me and Cat never got to duel!" She cried as she jumped to her feet. "GEEZ! KAIBA!" She quickly dashed after Kaiba before anyone could stop her.

"Oh well…if there's anyone that can stick up to Kaiba, it's Kay-chan…those two have known each other for a while anyways." Cat said, sweatdropping.

Zigfried stayed at his dueling station, laughing to himself.

He held up the card he held in his hand.

* * *

"The championship bout is about to begin in Kaiba Land's Blue-Eyes Fortress!" Roland announced.

It was a castle near the Kaiba Dome.

Everyone was gathered on a high balcony, overlooking the dueling stage.

"Mokuba, you hooked us up with the best seats in the house!" Anzu said happily.

"It was nothing. Let's just say I knows some people who know some people." Mokuba said with a grin. "Later, maybe I'll take you guys backstage to meet the stars."

Anzu laughed. "Wow, you really are a big shot."

"Hey…where's Kay-chan?" Kanya asked.

Kanya had quickly made good friends with Cat, Kay, Kate and everyone else.

"I don't know…I haven't seen her since she ran after Kaiba." Kate said.

"Oh, I think she's still with him. She seemed…pretty angry." Mokuba said with a weak smile.

* * *

_Kay marched up to Kaiba from behind and grabbed the back of his white trench coat.  
"HEY!" She cried. "Hold up a second!"_

_Kaiba stopped and turned around. "Kay? What are you doing here?" He asked._

_"You added me and Cat to the tournament, but you never let us duel!" Kay replied._

_"Oh that? Well, I couldn't really keep the tournament going on for any longer, because of the hacker incident. So I had to take you and a couple of others out." Kaiba said._

_Kay frowned as a vein formed on her head. She grabbed the front of his trench coat and shook him hard. "HAVE YOU NO SHAME?! You could have at least TOLD US!" She snapped._

* * *

Mokuba sweatdropped. "Yeah…it was a little scary until she calmed down after a moment." He said.

"I don't doubt dat." Joey said.

"Hey! The duel is starting! I'm going to cheer the loudest for my Yugi!" She cried happily.

"You do that." Anzu said in a dull tone.


	65. Secrets Revealed

Yugi ascended a long, torch-lit stairway that lead to the dueling stage.

"This is it, Pharaoh! I have to admit…with our title on the line, I'm a little nervous." Yugi said.

Yami appeared next to him in spirit.

"Stay focused, and have fun!" He said before they switched. "It's time to duel!"

Leon walked up a similar stairway. He stopped when he spotted Zigfried who stood in the doorway at the top of the stairs, waiting for him.

"What? What are you doing here?" Leon, asked, surprised.

Zigfried smiled and held out a card to him. "Take it. It might bring you luck." He said.

Leon hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take the card.

Crowds of people gathered below the Fortress.

"Welcome to the final bout of the KC Grand Championship!" Roland announced from the dueling stage.

A blimp flew overhead, filming the duel for broadcast all over the world.

Other people in cities gathered in the streets to watch the final duel on a large screen.

Mai was on one of the streets and she stopped to watch Yami take the stage.

Leon came out onto the stage with a fierce expression on his face.

"Let's do this!" He said. "I fought long and hard to get here! It's always been my dream to meet you…and now that I have, I've got a new dream. To defeat you!"

"The duel is ready to begin! Who will be the champion?" Roland announced.

Yami and Leon shuffled each other's decks.

Yami held Leon's deck to him. "Good luck, Leon." He said.

Leon only grimaced and returned to his side of the field. "I don't need luck!" He snapped.

Yami looked confused at Leon's sudden snap and headed to his side of the field.

"To kick off the festivities, we have a special individual!" Roland announced.

Joey grinned into the camera that was there until Mokuba angrily pushed him out of the way. "Roland is talking about my bro!" He snapped and he pointed up to the next balcony where Kaiba stood with Kay.

"Leave it to Kaiba to make this whole tournament about him." Joey said.

"Well, Kaiba DID organize it and pay for it and build the theme park to host it…so I'd say it IS all about him." Duke pointed out.

"The only thing Kaiba didn't do in this tournament is duel." Anzu said.

"My brother wanted to participate in this tournament more than anything, but he was too busy opening Kaiba Land and improving our company's image. Seto is the only one who really deserves to face Yugi." Mokuba said.

"I don't know if I'd go THAT far…I coulda been a contender." Joey said.

"Oh, please! You lost at your first duel! I almost beat Leon, and now he's got the title shot!" Rebecca said.

"If my brother had dueled in this tournament from the beginning, he would have blown them all away!" Mokuba said.

"The KC Grand Championship tournament was designed with one thing in mind! Finding the only person, besides myself, who deserves to be called the greatest duelist in the world! So these two competitors will face off in one final battle to determine just that! Now! Start the duel!" Kaiba announced.

The duel had started.

"What's up with Leon?" Cat asked.

"Ever since the duel started, he's been acting like a jerk!" Rebecca said.

"For once I agree with the dorks…I've been watching the competitors closely since the tournament began, and something definitely seems different about that kid. I don't trust him." Kaiba mummered.

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Leon's not acting like himself out there." He said.

"True…Leon does seem a bit angry. What could have happened?" Yami agreed.

"Maybe the pressure is getting to him?" Yugi suggested.

"I don't know…but the duel must go on." Yami said.

Back at the Kaiba Dome one of Kaiba's employees screamed in anguish as he studied the computer readouts on Leon.

"How could I have missed it?! Mr. Kaiba is going to go ballistic!" He cried before running frantically from the control room.

"You know…Leon seemed to be having more fun when he dueled me." Rebecca said as the duel continued.

"What's changed?" Anzu asked.

"He's dueling for the championship title now." Joey pointed out.  
"Being nervous about a big duel is one thing, but acting like a total creep is another. Leon's been waiting to duel Yugi for years, so you'd think he'd at least crack a smile." Rebecca said.

Just then, the panicking employee ran onto the balcony that Kaiba was on.

"Mr. Kaiba! You have to take a look at this!" He cried handing Kaiba some papers.

Kaiba took the papers and looked through them.

"I ran another background check on Leon Wilson." The employee explained.

Kaiba looked surprised. "This has got to be some kind of joke!" He cried.

The three heard laughing behind them and turned around to see Zigfried.

"It's true." He said.

"Was this a part of your twisted plan?" Kaiba asked.

"Yes. But it took you long enough to figure it out." Zigfried said.

"So throwing your life away wasn't good enough? You had to drag your own BROTHER down with you?!" Kaiba asked.

Everyone gasped as they heard this.

"It's all true. Leon Wilson is in reality, Leonhard von Schroeder!" Zigfried said, stepping out onto the balcony. "Leon! It's time to reveal the real reason you entered this tournament!"

"Whatever you say, bro!" Leon said.

"This is insane!" Yugi said while still in spirit form.

"All I had to do was make you think that I was the real threat to the tournament. While Kaiba was intent on stopping me, Leon was quietly climbing the ranks of the competition, virtually unopposed! And now, a von Schroeder is about to win it all! Kaiba Corp.'s biggest rival is about to reign victorious in Kaiba's own tournament! Just as Schroeder Corp. is about to release our new gaming system. Just imagine the publicity my new game will get when my brother defeats the King of Games himself!" Zigfried explained.

"So you sabotaged my tournament just to sell a few lousy games?!" Kaiba asked.

"If anyone knows about lousy games, it's you Heir Kaiba. You've had your moments at the top, so now it's time for you to step aside. As soon as my brother is crowned world champion, the new age of Schroeder Corp. will begin!" Zigfried answered.

"The duel isn't over yet!" Joey snapped.

"Yugi won't lose!" Rebecca insisted.

"Should I stop the duel?" Roland asked Kaiba.

"If you disqualify Leon now, you'll be breaking the rules of your own competition. Duels in progress can't be stopped. Plus, if you pull the plug before a new champion is named, then the entire tournament was nothing more than a giant waste of time. But that's only one man's opinion. You do what you think is right, Heir Kaiba." Zigfried pointed out.

Kay glared at him angrily. "You know, you're REALLY starting to get on my nerves!" She said.

Kaiba laughed. "There's a little problem with your plan! There's only one duelist in the world who's talented enough to beat Yugi, and that's my. Your plan only works if Yugi loses. I think Leon has as much chance of winning as your company has of succeeding!" He said.

"The duel will continued as scheduled! May the best duelist win!" Roland said.

Kaiba watched the duel, smiling. "I never expected anyone to defeat Yugi…that honor will belong to me." He said to himself quietly.

"Leon! Prove your worth as a von Schroeder and crush Yugi Muto! Just as we rehearsed it!" Zigfried called down to Leon.

"I won't let you down, bro!" Leon replied.

"I can't believe it! That means everything Leon told us about his dreams of becoming a champion duelist was a big lie!" Yugi said.

"I'll get to the bottom of this." Yami said.

"Leon! Are you really here to destroy Kaiba Corp.? Or are you letting your brother control who are you? The truth will set you free!" Yami said to Leon.

"Don't let these do-gooders turn you against me! They'll never know what our family has been through! Crush Yugi and obtain the championship title you deserves!" Zigfried called to Leon. "It's your duty as a Schroeder!"

"Right! I know Yugi would say that dueling for revenge is wrong, but my brother never asked for my help before, and now, for the first time ever, Zigfried needs me! I'm sorry, but I can't let my brother down." Leon said. "Ever since I could remember, Zigfried had been the most important member of our family."

* * *

_A young Zigfried walked past the foot of a huge stairway in their castle. He was carrying a stack of books._

_Then, a young Leon ran down the stairs carrying his new fairy tale book._

_"Hey Zigfried!" He said happily. "Come check out my new book!"_

_"Leon! Don't bother your brother! It's time for his lessons!" Leon and Zigfried's mother scolded. She led Zigfried into another room. "You must study hard. Your father can't run Schroeder Corp. forever. One say the family business will be in your hands." She said and turned back to Leon. "Don't distract your brother with your noise!" She snapped before slamming the doors shut._

_"I promise not to make a peep…" Leon said a little sadly._

* * *

"With everyone's attention focused on Zigfried, I was pretty much forgotten about! So I learned to entertain myself. I spent most of my time reading fairy tales. It was fun, but part of my still wished there was something I could do to help my family, just like Zigfried. Then I discovered the game of Duel Monsters, and my life was never the same!" Leon continued to explain.

_"And the winner is Leon Wilson!" The announcer said as Leon just won a Duel Monsters tournament._

"I changed my name so my family wouldn't find out." Leon continued.

_Leon left the tournament through the corridor, but stopped when he spotted Zigfried waiting for him in the hallway!_

_Leon looked a little scared. "Are you mad?" He asked._

_"Of course not. I came to congratulate you on your latest victory. Look at you, hacking into tournament computer systems and creating phony identities, like a little secret agent." Zigfried said calmly._

_"Please don't tell mom and dad! They wouldn't understand! I love dueling more than anything, so I did whatever it took." Leon begged._

_"There's no need to explain. I'm just glad I'm getting the chance to bond with my little brother. My talented little brother, who should be using his abilities to help his big brother run the family business." Zigfried said._

_"Just tell me what to do! I'll do anything to be a part of our family again!" Leon cried and threw himself onto Zigfried, crying._

_"Don't' worry…you'll never be alone again." Zigfried promised._

* * *

"I'm not just fighting for myself, I'm fighting for my whole family!" Leon explained.

"Leon was brainwashed into dueling! He should play for his love of the game, not for his family's vengeance!" Yugi said.

"I believe deep down, Leon knows that too." Yami said.

The duel continued.

"You know Solomon…Leon certainly is a talented lad." Professor Hawkins said to Grandpa Muto.

"That's true. Not only does he have impressive skills; he also has a great deal of respect for the cards in his deck. That's the mark of a true duelist." Grandpa Muto agreed.

"When push comes to shove, Leon will do the right thing." Kate said.

"Ah, but the Schroeder-Kaiba rivalry is a bitter one, and the anger and jealously between the two families runs deep." Grandpa Muto reminded her.

It wasn't long until Leon drew the card that Zigfried gave to him before the duel.

Zigfried urged Leon to play the card.

Leon stared at the card.

"This is for my family!" He cried and played the card.

It was called the Golden Castle of Stromberg.

Everyone gasped as he played it on the field card slot.

Even Leon looked surprised when a huge golden castle rose over the field behind them.

"Does anyone know what that is?" Joey asked.

"I do." Professor Hawkins said.

"I do as well." Grandpa Muto said.

Kaiba turned to Zigfried. "How did you get your hands on that?!" He snapped.

Zigfried only smiled.

"I've heard stories about that card…but I thought it was never released!" Yami exclaimed.

Back in Kaiba's control room, one of his employees, watching the duel stops.

"I'm getting some interference on my computer console." She said.

The other girl beside her blinked. "The mainframe's running fine." She said.

"The signal strength is fine too. It makes no sense!" The first employee said. "But whatever it was, it's over now."

"WHERE did you get that CARD?" Kaiba asked Zigfried again.

Zigfried played dumb. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Heir Kaiba." He said.

"I wonder…if that's really "it"." Professor Hawkins said.

"It is." Grandpa Muto said.

"What's going on?" Cat asked.

"There are several Duel Monster cards that Pegasus created, but never fully developed or officially released, and the Golden Castle of Stromberg is one of them." Professor Hawkins explained.

"I remember a tournament several years ago that offered the Golden Castle as a prize, but it was never meant to be used." Grandpa Muto said.

"Yes and because it was only a test sample, it was forbidden from tournament play." Professor Hawkins continued.

"Since only one copy was ever made, it became one of the most sought-after cards in the game." Grandpa Muto added.

"I can't believe Leon has it in his deck!" Professor Hawkins exclaimed.

"Your brother just played an illegal card!" Kaiba snapped at Zigfried.

"I don't think so." Zigfried said.

"But…if that's an non-registered card, Leon's Duel Disk shouldn't have recognized it." Mokuba said.

"The card limiter must have been deactivated, and I think I know how." Kaiba said, looking at Zigfried.

"That means Leon is cheating!" Joey cried.

Leon looked surprised.

"That's the real reason you hacked into my computer system." Kaiba growled.

Zigfried pretended to be offended. "The King of Games is about to be dethroned by a Schroeder, so you accuse me of cheating? Leon simply played a strong card. Don't blame me because your cheap computer network decided to malfunction. Kaiba Corp.'s heyday is over!" He said.

"No one's going to buy that. It's a fact. Leon broke the rules. He played a non-registered card in an official duel." Kaiba said.

"Go ahead and cancel the match, even though you promised the world a winner." Zigfried said.

"The duel will go on!" Kaiba snapped.

"He knows that if he disqualifies Leon, his entire tournament was pointless and his reputation will plummet." Zigfried mummered to himself, smirking.

Leon looked at the castle behind him. "Is this really a forbidden card?" He wondered. "No way! My brother would never lie to me like that!"

"Just continue your move! The Golden Castle of Stromberg was accepted by your Duel Disk, so it can't be illegal! Show these people what it means to be a Schroeder!" Zigfried called to Leon.

"Alright." Leon said but Yami suddenly turned to Zigfried.

"How could you?" He snapped at Zigfried.

"I knew Zigfried was a jerk, but lying to his own brother!" Joey said.

"Don't listen to them! Kaiba's friends just want to tear our family apart! Who are you going to believe? These strangers or your own flesh and blood?" Zigfried called down to Leon.

"But, I don't want to win by cheating." Leon said.

"The card is legal!" Zigfried insisted.

"Don't trust Zigfried." Yami warned Leon. "He's just using you. He reprogrammed Kaiba's dueling system to accept an illegal card."

"Is that true?" Leon asked Zigfried.

"Yes. It is! But it's too late to stop me now! The most powerful card never released is already on the field, and no one can stop it!" Zigfried admitted. "There's only one winner here! Schroeder Corp. When Leon is crowned World Champion, we'll be the number one gaming company on Earth!"

"Not if you force him to win by cheating!" Yami said.

Zigfried laughed. "I call it creative dueling!" He said.

"I was supposed to win fair and square!" Leon protested.

"It turns out the rules didn't fit my needs. Use the card I gave you, and let me handle the rest! Your dreams are about to be realized! Don't let them pass you by!" Zigfried said.

"My dream has always to win in a duel against Yugi…but I refuses to do it by breaking the rules!" Leon said and played Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy the Golden Castle of Stromberg.

"Yeah! You don't need that illegal hunk of junk!" Joey cheered.

"Yeah!" Honda cheered as well.

But…the Golden Castle remained on the field.

Zigfried laughed. "Since the Golden Castle of Stromberg card was never finished, I was able to add a few twists of my own!" He cried.

"A duelist can't change the attributes of a card!" Grandpa Muto cried.

"Unless he was able to rewrite the file and alter the data!" Professor Hawkins said.

"What have you done?!" Kaiba asked Zigfried.

"Witness the final phase of my revenge!" Zigfried laughed.

"Look! The Castle is glowing!" Mokuba pointed out.

The broadcast of the duel started to get interrupted and screens all over the place started to flicker.

"If you think I hacked into your dueling system just to strengthen one card, you're wrong. In fact, that card was just a key. As soon as it was played, it unlocked the most devastating virus ever constructed!" Zigfried said.

"Launch the anti-viral program immediately!" Kaiba ordered one of his men.

"A little too late! Every one of Kaiba Corp.'s program files and data banks are being deleted as we speak! When your empire crumbles, Maximillion Pegasus will have no choice but to negotiate a partnership with Schroeder Corp.!" Zigfried laughed.

"You snake!" Kaiba snapped.

"He must be stopped!" Yami said.

"It's all my fault." Leon said sadly. "I never should have trusted Zigfried. And now it's too late."

"There's still time!" Yami said, but Leon wasn't listening.

"I just wanted the chance to face Yugi in a fair duel, but that chance is gone!" Leon said and began to place his hand over his deck to forfeit the duel.

"It's not that easy!" Zigfried said, stopping Leon.

"My virus can't be stopped by surrendering. There's only one way to put a stop to all this! Destroy the Golden Castle of Stromberg, and the virus will cease!"

"But how? Magic and Trap cards are useless against it." Kanya asked.

"Who knows what other abilities Zigfried added to it!" Kay said.

"Now what?" Leon asked.

"We'll continue the duel." Yami simply said.

"But it's no use! My brother made that card indestructible!" Leon said.

"What happened to the Leon I met at the start of the tournament? He wouldn't be giving up; he'd be fighting for his dream. Duel me with everything you have!" Yami said. "Together…we can put an end to Zigfried's selfish scheme!"

"I'm not so sure…"Leon said.

"Trust me." Yami said. "Every card has its weakness. We just need to figure out this one's and we don't have much time."

"Thousands of Kaiba Corp. files are being deleted, thanks to my undefeatable virus!" Zigfried said.

"We'll see." Yami said.

"If what Zigfried said is true, then Yugi has to get rid of that Castle card, pronto, or Kaiba's going to lose everything!" Duke said.

"There's only one problem. Zigfried reprogrammed the card and made it indestructible!" Joey pointed out.

Kaiba then turned to walk away. Mokuba called to him.

"You're running away from your problems?" Zigfried asked Kaiba.

"I don't run away from anything. When faced with a problem, I eliminates the source." Kaiba answered.

"Fools…they don't realize I've already won" Zigfried said.

Kay glared at him fiercely. "YOU!" She cried and was about to jump at him but Cat, who went up to the balcony that they were on, held Kay back.

"Kay-chan! Hurting Zigfried isn't going to stop the virus or that card!" Cat said.

"Sadly…"Kay mummered angrily.

Cat let go of Kay when she was calm again. "I'm going to go and try to help Kaiba." Kay said before running off.

Cat was about to leave as well, but Zigfried grabbed her arm and pulled her in front of him, making her face the duel.

"Now, now, you wouldn't want to leave me all alone up here, would you? I love company." Zigfried said.

Cat looked a bit scared.

Yami didn't see what happened and walked up to Leon.

"I know you didn't mean to trigger that virus, but with your help, I think we can stop it." He said. "Duel with all your heart."

Yugi appeared next to Yami in spirit. "That's right!" He said. "As long as Leon stays strong and doesn't give up, we're bound to find that card's weakness!"

Yami returned back to his side of the field and Leon clenched his fists in determination.

"There's nothing I can to do change the past, but I can work with Yugi to change to future. I know there's a solution to this whole thing, and if anyone can figure it out…its Yugi." He said to himself.

"Then let's duel!" Yami said.

Suddenly, another effect of the Golden Castle of Stromberg was activated! It forced Yami's Dark Magician Girl to attack and then get destroyed! Another effect of the card.

"Can he really make a card do that?" Joey asked

"He just did!" Honda pointed out.

Joey looked up at the balcony above them. "Oh GREAT…it looks like pinky boy has a hostage!" He cried.

Everyone else looked up at Zigfried at Cat.

"CAT!" Yami cried and glared fiercely at Zigfried.

Zigfried smirked at Yami. "Ah, ah! Don't think about coming over here…if you do, you automatically lose the duel!" He chuckled. "I told you I wasn't afraid of you."

Yami clutched his fists angrily.


	66. The End of the KC Grand Championship

"Initiate Protocol KC-514!" Kaiba ordered his employees in the control room. "We can't allow this thing to spread any further!"

"What can I do to help?" Mokuba asked.

"Take charge of E-Level security and make sure every firewall stays active." Kaiba answered.

Mokuba rushed to one of the computer station and put on the computer goggles and microphone.

He started to get to work.

"Poor Leon…" He whispered to himself. "Leon would have done anything to help his big brother, and how did Zigfried repay him? With lies and betrayal. My brother would never do that to me."

"Urg…how can I destroy that castle? Magic and Trap cards are useless against it and any monster I summon will self-destruct and drain my life points." Yami growled to himself.

"What's the use?" Leon said sighing in a depressed way.

"We can't give up! Every card has a weakness! And as long as we fight together until the very end, we'll find a way to tear that castle down!" Yami urged Leon.

"Yugi's right…quitting is not an option." Leon said to himself.

Zigfried interrupted again. "In order to maintain the Golden Castle of Stromberg on the field, half of one's deck must be discarded at the beginning of each turn. And the cost must be played by Yugi!" He said.

"Okay! You've taken cheating to a whole new level!" Joey snapped at Zigfried.

"It's the strongest card I've ever seen!" Professor Hawkins exclaimed.

"Yes. When Zigfried broke into Kaiba's gaming system, he gave his Golden Castle powers that no card has ever had before, giving the card holder an unfair advantage." Grandpa Muto agreed.

"How could Zigfried do this to me?" Leon asked, unhappily.

"Yugi's the one with the disadvantage! So you should be thanking me!" Zigfried said. "He just lost half of his deck!"

Yami pulled half of the cards from his deck and discarded them.

"We can't let Zigfried get away with this!" Joey cried.

"I might be up in the grandstand, but that doesn't mean I can't control this duel." Zigfried said.

"He's insane!" Leon cried.

"Before long, my brother will hold the world championship crown, and Kaiba Corp. will crumble into ruins." He said to himself. "Summon a monster! This is a duel after all!" He called to Leon.

"He's right. Go on." Yami said.

After some more dueling, they learned that monster effects don't work on the Castle either.

"Why is the castle still there? Shouldn't if have been destroyed?" Anzu asked.

"It should have been a sand castle!" Joey cried.

"Surprise, surprise." Zigfried said.

"When Zigfried overwrote the card's data text, he must have protected his Golden Castle against monster effects also!" Rebecca cried.

"That means there's no way to get rid of it!" Kanya cried.

"That means the duel's done." Honda said.

It was time for Yami to discard half of his deck again.

"Go ahead! Discard half your deck to the graveyard to keep my castle in play!" Zigfried called to Yami.

Yami smirked. "I'm sorry to disappoint you…but I can't do that." He said.

"You must!" Zigfried snapped.

"You're wrong! I only have one card left in my deck, and I can't discard half of it! The Golden Castle of Stromberg has to go!" Yami replied.

Yami only had one card left because of the monster effect he tried to use against the Golden Castle.

Zigfried watched in horror has his castle disappeared! "It's can't be!" He cried.

Leon turned to Yami. "You did it!" He cried happily.

"You mess with the best, and you fail like the rest!" Joey grinned.

"It seemed like a perfect card…Zigfried designed it to be impervious to the effects of every other card in the game. But in the end, everything has its weakness." Grandpa Muto said.

"With Yugi's refusal to give in, he was able to find it." Professor Hawkins added in with a smile.

In the control room, everyone was working frantically.

Until…

"Good news! The virus just stopped dead in its tracks!" Mokuba said happily.

Kaiba looked at the screen that showed the duel.

"The castles gone!" Kay said.

"I guess Yugi found its weak spot after all." Kaiba said.

"Is everything safe now?" Mokuba asked.

"We'll know as soon as we launch the backup system and reboot the KC mainframe." Kaiba said.

Get a load of "Zigfreak"!" Honda laughed.

"You cheated and schemed, and you still lost!" Joey said.

But Zigfried laughed. "I admit I'm surprised that Yugi was able to destroy my Golden Castle, but in the end, victory will still be mine! You maybe have stopped my virus, but not soon enough! By now, most of Kaiba Corp.'s gaming data has been permanently lost! Not to mention Yugi only has one card left, and this duel isn't over yet! When Yugi is unable to draw a card, in the next turn, my brother will win!" He cried.

"I can't let Yugi lose…not when my brother cheated him out of his title. There's only one way I can save him." Leon said. "I'm quitting!"

"Don't even think about it." Yami said. "Now that the Castle is gone, the real duel can begin! You owe it to yourself to fulfill your dream and see this duel through to the end!"

Leon nodded.

They dueled till the end! And somehow, Yami pulled through with just one card in his deck!

He won!

Everyone cheered.

"That's my grandson!" Grandpa Muto cried happily.

"Yugi never ceases to amaze me!" Professor Hawkins also said happily.

Zigfried became horrified. "I-…I'm ruined!" He cried.

Cat took this as a chance to slip away to get back to her friends.

Yami walked up to Leon. "Well done." He said.

"Thanks." Leon said, tears streaming out of his eyes.

"You fought with honor and under the toughest of circumstances, and never gave you. You should be proud." Yami said.

Leon then clung to Yami, sobbing.

Yami smiled at him.

"Stop your whimpering!" Zigfried cried as he walked onto the field. "It wasn't a total loss! It will take years of reprogramming for Kaiba Corp. to restore what my devastating virus has destroyed! And in the meantime…" He was cut off.

"You'll what?" Kaiba asked as he walked back onto the balcony with Kay.

"Take all of my business away? You might have had a chance if your plan actually worked. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were a snake, so I was prepared for you little scheme. My entire computer network has already been restored. The only loser here is Zigfried."

"I…I don't believe it!" Zigfried cried. "My strategy was flawless!"

Leon walked up to his brother.

"Even if your plan did work, nothing would have changed. Can't you see that our family's obsession with the Kaiba's has ruined us?" He said.

Zigfried fell to his knees. "What has ruined us is that I'm weak." He said.

"That's the first sensible thing he's said all week." Kaiba said.

Kay laughed.

Leon kneeled in front of Zigfried. "It's not our family's losses that hurt us, it's our attitude. Dueling Yugi has taught me that real strength is sticking with it when everyone expects you to quit. We may lose some of our business to Kaiba Corp., but losing is a reason to try harder, not give up. So let's go home and make Schroeder Corp. the best company we can!" He said with a smile.

Zigfried looked up. "Thank you." He said and the two brothers embraced.

Yami and Yugi watched, smiling. They nodded to each other.

"Wrap this up." Kaiba said to Roland.

Roland nodded.

"The KC Grand Championship has come to a close! The winner, and still world champ, is Yugi Muto!" He announced.

* * *

All the crowds cheered…except for Weevil and Rex, who huddled together, sulking.

* * *

Mai watched on one of the big screens through the city as people around her chanted Yugi's name. She smiled.

* * *

Everyone gathered at the airport.

"That was fun…but I'm ready to go back home." Joey said.

"I'm ready for a home-cooked meal!" Honda said.

"Let's not drag out this goodbye. I'll be in your neighborhood in a few weeks." Duke said with a smile.

"Why?" Joey asked.

Duke winked. "I've got a date with Shizuka." He replied.

Joey jumped him angrily.

"What I wouldn't give to be young again!" Professor Hawkins chuckled as he watched the boys wrestle.

"I still feel limber!" Grandpa Muto said happily…before his back promptly went out again.

"Remember Yugi! You promised to e-mail me twice a day, and visit every weekend." Rebecca said with a smile.

Yugi smiled weakly. "Sure…" He said and offered his hand for a shake, but instead, Rebecca flung her arms around him. "I'll miss you!" She said and then looked at Anzu who was twitching, behind them. "And I'll miss you too Anzu." She said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Anzu's eyebrow twitched. "I'll bet." She said.

Mokuba then ran up to them.

"What are you guys doing here? I hooked you up with the Kaiba Corp. jet, so the least you can do is be on time!" He said.

Joey looked at his watch. "Oh! Is it time already?" He asked.

Everyone grabbed their stuff and ran to the jet, saying their good-byes.

"So now that you won the championship, what's next, Yug?" Joey asked as the jet took off.

"The sky's the limit!" Yugi replied.

Kaiba watched the jet fly off from his office.

* * *

"AHHH! It's SO GOOD to be home!"

Cat stretched as she, Yugi and Grandpa Muto walked back into the game shop.

Yugi laughed.

"Yeah! That was quite an adventure, huh? First Dartz, then Zigfried." He said.

"I'm just glad Zigfried left me alone afterwards. I still don't get why he kept approaching me like that." Cat said.

Yugi and Cat walked upstairs to put their stuff away.

"I'm not sure either, but I do know that the Pharaoh was really upset with Zigfried when he held you "hostage" on the balcony." Yugi said with a smile

Cat smiled weakly. "I could tell." She replied.

They didn't have school for a while and they found out that Kate and Kanya lived in the same city as everyone else. Kay did to.

Everyone also had a discussion.

They decided to wait a week before they would go to the Pharaoh's stone tablet to get his memories.

Yami was happy to take a week off. Even though he was egar to get his memories back, he was willing to wait a week to just relax and be with everyone in just a NORMAL way.

"Surprisingly enough, I'm not tired from the trip." Cat mentioned as she started to unpack her stuff.

"Me either." Yugi said. "I thought I would be with all that we went through and everything."

Cat laughed.

"Yeah." She said.


	67. When the Sunset turns into the Rain

There was three days left…until the week was over.

Kate and Yugi had gotten awfully close, much to Anzu and Rebecca's dispair.

Honda had pretty much forgotten about Shizuka and had warmed up to Kanya.

Even Kay and Kaiba were closer than ever before!

Cat stood on one of the lookouts on the beach. She adored the ocean and often went there to get peace and quite. Or whenever she needed to think something out.

She noted to herself that she had never seen a more beautiful sunset. As the ocean breeze passed by her, she sighed.

"I can't believe it's almost time…for him…to go." She whispered to herself. Time was running out...they only had two days before Yami would recover his memories.

And she wasn't sure if when he did, that would be the last time she would ever see him, or not. Their friends wondered the same thing.

After a moment of pondering, her face quickly turned to determination.

"No! It doesn't matter how much I'll miss him! His needs come first! I won't any of my foolish emotions get in the way! I made him a promise!" She said to herself sternly.

"Cat?"

"I'm not going to let my emotions get the best of me this time! I'm tired of being weak!" She continued, not noticing the voice.

"Cat…?"

"No! I won't! I won't be weak again!"

"CAT!"

Cat jumped and spun around quickly to see Yami standing there. Cat looked a little flustered.

"U-Uh…Oh! H-Hey Yami-kun." She laughed, feeling a little embarrassed.

Yami smiled a bit and made a small chuckle, shaking his head before his face returned to all seriousness.

"Cat…you don't mind taking a walk will me, do you?" He asked.

"Huh? Uh, sure." Cat said, looking a little confused.

The two walked along the lookout area where you could see the beach.

Cat walked behind Yami, thinking.

"I wonder what's wrong…he's acting…strange." She thought to herself.

All of the sudden, Yami stopped walking.

"Cat?" He asked.

"Y-yes?" She asked, snapping out of her thoughts.

Without turning around, Yami looked at the sky, which was still lighted by the sunset, but it was slowly fading.

"You know…that once I regain my memories…you may not ever see me again…and if not that, you may not see me for a long time." He said calmly.

Cat blinked.

"Y-yeah…" She said almost sadly.

Yami looked over his shoulder and his eyes focused on her.

Cat felt her heart skip a beat as his amethyst eyes felt like they pierced right into her soul.

Without another word, Yami turned around fully and started to walk to her.

"Y-Yami-kun…? Wha-" She couldn't finish her sentence for a sudden and forceful move was made.

Right before she could finish her sentence, Yami had quickly leaned over and locked her lips in a kiss, which stopped Cat's sentence in an instant.

Cat's eye widened and her hands shook, not knowing what to do!

A million thoughts ran through her head, none-in which she was able to keep up with!

And without her even noticing…she raised her hand and slapped Yami across the face.

Yami stumbled back, shocked.

Cat's cheeks were red and she panted, her hand pulsed painfully where her hand had made contact with Yami's cheek.

Slowly, Yami raised his a hand and pressed against his cheek, where Cat had slapped him.

There was a silence. None of them knew how long it lasted…before Cat had realized what she had done.

"Y-Yami-kun! I-I-I'm…I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to-" Cat stuttered, raising her trembling hand to her mouth.

"No…" Yami cut her off again and gave her a small smile. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have done that, it was inappropriate of me…I apologize."

"Ah…no…" Cat said quietly.

"I'm going back to the house for now. I'll see you when you get home, okay?" Yami said, still smiling.

He turned and walked away.

Cat's hand's continued to tremble and she bit her lip as tears formed in her eyes.

"N-No…I-I'm sorry…I'm…so sorry…" She whispered.

It was only when Cat's mind became clear, was she able to realize what happened.

She honestly didn't mean to slap him…her body reacted before her mind did. She figured it was because she was…so shocked.

Cat stayed in that spot, not moving an inch until the sun was completely gone and the moon lit up area.

Cat continued to feel really guilty of what she had done. She touched her lips lightly with her fingertips. "But…it wasn't…so bad." She whispered.

She continued to stand there, not noticing the rain clouds and the sudden down pour.

Not too far, a girl was running through the rain with an umbrella and a trench coat.

"Geez! What's with this sudden rain? I know summer rain is unpredictable, but this is ridiculous!" She cried.

It was Kay!

* * *

**OH! THE DRAMA! Lol, just kidding.**

**Anyways, lots of updates today too. I wanted to wrap up the KC Grand Championship. So we all know what's up next!! The Millennium/Memory World/Saga/Dawn of the Duel!! :D**


	68. Fate or Destiny, it chose you

She was heading home from baby-sitting Mokuba. A job that paid in two ways, one with money, and two to spend time with Kaiba.

Kay stopped running when she spotted Cat standing in the middle of the walkway, just staring into space.

"Cat!" She called and jogged over.

Cat finally looked up. "Kay?" She asked.

When Kay reached her, she held her umbrella over them both.  
"What the heck, Cat? Why are you standing in the rain like this! You're absolutely soaked to the bone!" She scolded.

"I'm…sorry." Cat said quietly.

Kay stared at her for a moment before sighing. "Okay, what happened?" She asked.

"What?" Cat asked.

"Something's bugging you! It's written all over your face. C'mon. Let's find a place to talk that has shelter." Kay said, dragging Cat with her.

They soon found a small picnic area with a roof over it in Domino Park, which wasn't far from where Kay found Cat.

"Alright then, talk. What's up?" Kay asked.

Cat sat at one of the picnic tables, across from Kay. She looked down at her lap in an ashamed way.

"W-well…it was…Yami-kun." Cat said quietly.

"Oh? What about him?" Kay asked.

"Kay-chan…I think…you were right." Cat said in a small voice.

Kay blinked in confusment before grinning.

"Oh, I get it! I was right about him liking you!" Kay laughed and Cat nodded slowly. "So what, don't tell me you're disturbed at the fact!"

Cat shook her head, not looking up. "N-no it's not that…he…he…" She said a little louder.

"He what?" Kay asked.

Cat lightly bit her lip again. "He…he kissed me." She said a little quieter.

"He what? Speak up, I can't hear you!" Kay said leaning over a little.

Cat looked up. "I said, he kissed me!" She said louder.

There was a pause and Kay grinned.

"Oh he did?" She giggled. "Is that it?"

Cat brushed one of her bangs, which were sticking to her face because they were so wet, back a little.

"No…during the kiss…my body automatically slapped him. He didn't get upset or anything…he apologized for kissing me so suddenly and left. But…I have such a guilty feeling now." She explained.

"You SLAPPED him?" Kay repeated.

"On ACCIDENT." Cat added in.

"Oh, I see." Kay said in a softer tone.

Cat looked back down at her lap.

"It's just now…I…I don't know how I can face him now. I feel absolutely horrible." She said.

"Well…" Kay said after a moment of thought. "I wouldn't worry about it TOO much. You said he wasn't upset or anything and apologized, right? The best you can do is act like nothing happened."

"But there's another thing…a little after the incident…I realized that…it…actually wasn't so…bad at all." Cat said.

Kay grinned again.

"Then that's that!" She said.

"What's what?" Cat asked.

"Isn't it obvious! I knew it all along, you LOVE HIM!" Kay said pointing at her.

Cat blushed again.

"Why must you be so straightforward with these things?" She asked.

Kay grinned in a silly way. "Because I am." She simply answered.

"But the thing is…" Kay cut Cat off.

"Ah, AH! I won't hear you saying, "I don't know if I love him still or not!", the thing is, YOU DO! You just don't fully realize it yet." Kay said and stood up. "Just give it some time, Cat. Anyways…it's getting a little late. I don't want you getting wet again and catching a cold so I'll walk you back to the Game Shop with my umbrella."

"Alright." Cat said.

Cat and Kay walked down the street, under the umbrella. They were pretty silent most of the way…until a black car pulled up next to them.

The two stopped and looked at the car as the window rolled down.

"Hello Cat…do you have a moment?"

"I-Ishizu? What are you doing here?" Cat asked.

"I was hoping I would find you at the Game Shop, they said that you hadn't come home yet. I'm glad I found you. You don't mind coming to the Ancient Egyptian exhibit with me, do you?" Ishizu asked.

"No…I don't." Cat said.

"Alright, hop in." Ishizu said.

"Right…" Cat said and walked over to one of the doors. "Bye Kay-chan! Thanks for sharing your umbrella."

"No problem. Bye!" Kay said with a smile and continued her way to her home.

* * *

"I suppose you're wondering why I wanted to talk to you, correct?" Ishizu asked.

Cat nodded as the two walked to the infamous stone tablet where Yami first realized he was a Pharaoh.

"I had predicted that through-out the Pharaoh's journey, Luna would be the one to help and guide him through some things…but it appears I was wrong." Ishizu said. "It appears that…you're the one."

Cat blinked. "What did I do?" She asked.

"Well…you were sort of the Pharaoh's unconscious guide. And you helped him through many things. For example, when you sacrificed your soul to rescue him." Ishizu explained.

Cat rubbed the back of her head. "Oh…you heard about that?" She asked.

"Yes…anyways…it seems you share the same connection with the Pharaoh as Luna did." Ishizu continued.

"How's that?" Cat asked.

"Well…for one thing, the silver cartouche around your neck. It's the physical sign of your bond with him. Since you received your "family heirloom" in a strange way, have you ever wondered why it has your name on the front and not Luna's like it was originally carved?" Ishizu pointed out.

Cat took her cartouche in her hand and looked down at it.

"You know what? No…I've actually never…thought of that." She said.

"Would you like to know why? And I will inform you, it's not because they scratched out Luna's name and replaced it with yours." Ishizu said.

"Okay…tell me." Cat said.

"It's because it was destiny. Once the world was threatened and the Pharaoh had to sacrifice himself, Luna was no longer his destined love." Ishizu explained. "Because even if they wanted to stay together, which I'm positive they did, it could never be. If the Pharaoh hadn't sealed his soul away, then the world would have been destroyed."

"Wait, wait…are you saying that I'M supposed to be his destined love?" Cat asked.

Ishizu nodded. "Yes, it's the only explanation. And there are two reasons. One, because the Pharaoh still had a strong attachment to Luna and well…you're her descendent. Two…Pharaoh's are only allowed to wed girls with royal blood. And you do have royal blood because of Luna. And this second reason goes hand in hand with the first one." She said.

(OMG! It's a fact kids! Pharaoh's WERE only allowed to wed people that were royalty. You've (maybe) learned something new. Congrats. Lol.)

"I see." Cat said quietly.

"Now then…the second reason I asked you to come here today." Ishizu moved on. "I also wanted to let you know, ahead of time, that we're moving this all to Egypt tomorrow. So when the Pharaoh is ready to regain his memories, come to Egypt. We will meet you there and you won't have to pay for it."

"Alright…thank you…I'll let everyone know." Cat said.

"That is all. Thank you for your time." Ishizu said.

"Okay! Thank you, Ishizu!" Cat said and turned to leave.

"Oh…one last thing…I wouldn't worry about the possibility of not seeing the Pharaoh again once he regains his memories…something…different may occur." Ishizu said.

Cat stopped walking and looked back at Ishizu.

What did she mean by that?


	69. To Egypt!

"When I regained consciousness, something felt different. It was as if the darkness had somehow lifted! I found myself lying on the walkway, safe and sound. As I struggled to my feet, I noticed I was alone. My last guide that had shot me in the shoulder was gone! And so was the spirit of the Pharaoh! I looked over at the golden box at the end of the walkway. It lit up as I picked it up. "I'll always keep it safe." I said. And inside the box contained the pieces of your Millennium Puzzle!"

Yugi, Cat, and Grandpa Muto were all in their PJ's and Grandpa Muto was telling them the story of how he found the Millennium Puzzle.

"Grandpa…did you really do all that?" Yugi asked.

Grandpa Muto laughed. "I might have exaggerated just a bit." He said. "Does your sudden interest in my old adventures have anything to do with tomorrow's trip?"

"Of course! Before we head off to Egypt, I want to learn everything I can about it." Yugi said with a smile and looked down at his Puzzle.

"But that's pretty amazing that you did all that, Mr. Muto! And the fact that you were rescued by the Pharaoh we all know and love, is pretty cool too!" Cat said, smiling like a child.

Grandpa Muto chuckled again. "You think so?" He asked.

Cat nodded.

"Hey Grandpa…do you still remember where the Pharaoh's tomb is?" Yugi asked.

"I don't. I hired those two guides to find it for me. The Valley of the Kings is bigger than you'd think, and most of those caves look exactly the same." Grandpa Muto replied.

Yugi sighed in disappoint meant. "I was looking forward to seeing the spot where you found the Millennium Puzzle." He said.

"I would stay out of that place, if I were you." Grandpa Muto said. "Hey…Yugi? Can I have one last look at the Egyptian God cards?"

Yugi and Cat sweatdropped.  
"What? But it's your fifth time!" Yugi protested.

"But the thought of being without them makes me so sad." Grandpa Muto said with a puppy face.

Yugi sighed again and grabbed the Puzzle box out of his bag, handing it to Grandpa Muto.

Grandpa Muto took the God cards out and gushed over them.

"Okay Grandpa, you need to give them back now." Yugi said.

"No! Never! I don't want to return them!" Grandpa said like a child. "Leave them with me!"

Yugi was finally able to snatch them back.  
"You know better than that!" He scolded. "The Pharaoh needs these cards!"

"I'm sorry…" Grandpa Muto said, sulking a little. "That's why the Pharaoh saved me."

"For some reason, when the Pharaoh was sealed away in that tomb, his memory was wiped clean. So he waited three thousand years, until fate brought him to Yugi." Grandpa Muto whispered to himself. "Yugi is the one person with the power to help the Pharaoh regain everything he lost. But…I'm also curious about Cat too with her cartouche and all."

He glanced at Cat who was sitting innocently on the floor, hugging her pillow and spacing out like she always did.

Grandpa Muto then stood up and put his hands on Yugi's shoulders. "He who holds the Millennium Puzzle holds the legacy of the Pharaoh, and that's no small task." He said with a serious face.

"I know." Yugi said, returning the serious look.

"My adventure is done. But you're has only just begun. Treat every challenge you face like a game. Trust your instincts and you'll come out on top." Grandpa Muto said.

"Playing games is what I do best!" Yugi replied with a determined smile.

Grandpa Muto smiled. "That's my grandson." He said and then looked down at Cat, who was still spacing out.

He kneeled down in front of her.

"Cat." He said.

Cat blinked, returning to reality. "Y-Yes?" She asked.

"You too. You must trust your instincts as well. I don't know what kind of connection you share with the Pharaoh, but it's obvious you have one. Help him all you can. Alright?" Grandpa Muto said.

Cat smiled with determination as well and gave him a short nod. "Yes!" She said.

Grandpa Muto smiled and stood up.

"Well…goodnight you two. You guys have a big day ahead of you tomorrow." He said.

"Goodnight." Yugi and Cat said at the same time before they too went to bed.

* * *

Rain poured down onto the skylight window.

Lightening flashed and then Weevil and Rex appeared, looking through the skylight window with evil grins.

Yugi was dreaming that he was talking to Yami…even though he really WAS. They were communicating through the dream.

He dreamed that he was sitting on the roof of the school and Yami stood next to him in spirit.

"Is everything alright?" Yami asked Yugi.

"I'm thinking about what Grandpa said about fate bringing us together. He said I was the only one that could help you." Yugi replied.

"It's true." Yami said.

"But ever since we met, you have helped me much more than I've helped you." Yugi explained. "Before you came into my life, I spent all my time alone. But the minute I put the Millennium Puzzle together, my life changed. You gave me the confidence I needed to be myself and to make new friends! Friends I'll have for the rest of my life. And I wouldn't be the duelist I am without you. Teaming up with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me in my whole life."

"Thank you." Yami said with a smile.

"I don't know where I'd be without you. I just hope I can return the favor.

"You already have. I was alone for three thousand years, until the day we met. And then your friends became my friends too. Besides, you're about to do something for me that I could never do on my own. Regain my memory and unlock the mysteries of my past. We make and excellent team." Yami said.

"This is it! The Egyptian God cards will finally be in the hands of someone who deserves them!" Weevil said, looking through the window.

"So you're admitting that the cards belong to me." Rex said.

"Dream on." Weevil replied as he raised a rock and broke the window.

Then, Yugi woke up to see a hand reaching through the window and grabbing his bag.

Rex and Weevil, with the bag, slid down the ladder they used to climb up to the roof. They quickly ran for it.

"STOP!" Yugi called to them as he rushed through the front door, still in his pajamas and bare feet. He chased after them.

Rex and Weevil stopped in an alley and they gasped for breath.

"I've got to take a look at those things!" Weevil said, opening the bag. He suddenly looked surprised when he saw several Millennium Items in it.

The Millennium Ring, which was lying on the top, glowed brightly and rose out of the bag, flying to the end of the alley.

Bakura caught it.

"Hey! You! You'd better not be after the God cards!" Rex warned him.

"I already have what I'm after." Yami Bakura said, putting the ring around his neck.

Yugi ran towards the alley and stopped when he heard Weevil and Rex cry out.

He ran to the cry and spotted a figure standing over Rex and Weevil's bodies.

"Bakura? Is that you?" Yugi asked.

"Guess again." Yami Bakura said.

"What have you done to them?" Yugi asked.

"They got what they deserved. They had something that didn't belong to them, so I banished them to the Shadow Realm." Yami Bakura explained

Yugi looked horrified.

"You should be grateful." Yami Bakura said and tossed Yugi his bag back.

Yugi checked to see if the God Cards were still there. They were, thankfully.

"It seems they're safe and sound. But just so you know, I'm keeping one of the items." Yami Bakura said, showing him the Millennium Ring. "I wasn't quite ready to part with it yet."

"Give it back! The Millennium Items belong together!" Yugi said.

"Eventually, they will be. You ought to concentrate on gathering the other items instead of pestering me. When the time is right, I'll give you the Millennium Ring. We share a common goal…we both want all seven Items returned to their resting place within the Millennium Stone." Yami Bakura said.

"I don't trust you." Yugi said. "I'm collecting the Millennium Items so I can help the Pharaoh save the world from destruction."

"Do you think I have a different goal in mind?" Yami Bakura asked. "Believe what you wish, but remember that I know things about the past that the Pharaoh has forgotten. I know that when the seven Millennium Items are returned to the stone, a doorway to the spirit world will open."

Yugi looked down at the Millennium Puzzle. "I wonder if the spirit world is where the Pharaoh belongs." He said to himself before looking back up to Bakura. "When this doorway is opened, will the Pharaoh be set free?" He asked.

"Now you're catching on." Yami Bakura said. "Don't you want to help your friend? His spirit's been trapped in the Puzzle for three thousand years."

"Of course I do." Yugi said.

Suddenly, the puzzle activated and Yami took over.

"Stop poisoning Yugi's mind!" He said sternly.

"Have you come to bury the hatchet and join forces?" Yami Bakura asked.

"You know better than that." Yami said.

"I know why you hate me. The two of us are more alike that you care to admit." Yami Bakura said.

Yami frowned.

"We're nothing alike!" He said.

"We're both three thousand year old spirits inhabiting the body of a civilian. The only difference is that I remember my past, while all your mind contains is an endless labyrinth of questions. Your life is nothing more than a puzzle wrapped in a game. And I know the solution. The only way you can solve the game is to play a game." Yami Bakura pointed out.

"I don't know if you're telling the trust, but I'll do whatever it takes to unlock my mind." Yami said.

"Good luck…you'll need it when the ultimate Shadow Game begins." Yami Bakura said and turned to leave thinking to himself that the encounter went exactly as planned…and now it was time for phase two.

Yami watched him leave until he was out of sight.

"YUGI!"

Yami turned around and saw Cat running towards him, carrying a raincoat.

She stopped when she reached him.

"Oh! You're not Yugi. Hey Yami-kun." She said with a smile.

"Cat, what are you doing here?" Yami asked. "I don't want you to catch a cold…"

Cat laughed. "Like you're one to talk? When Yugi ran out of the house, all he was in was his pajamas and bare feet. Just like you are now. So I brought this." She said and handed Yami the raincoat.

Cat was wearing shoes and a raincoat herself.

"We can't have you catch a cold either, you know." She said.

Yami smiled and put the raincoat on. "Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome. We should head back home. Like Mr. Muto said, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Cat said with a smile and the two started to walk back to the Game shop.

Cat kept remembering the kiss Yami had gave her unexpectedly and blushed. She pulled her hood over her head some more, so he wouldn't see.

* * *

The sun rose.

Yami Bakura and forced Kaiba into a duel and they were in the middle of a duel on top of Kaiba's building.

"You're in luck, Kaiba. I have some other business to attend to." Yami Bakura said.

"You're leaving in the middle of a duel?!" Kaiba snapped angrily.

"Don't worry, I'll be back to finish what I started. In the meantime…" Yami Bakura said and tossed something to Kaiba.

Kaiba caught it and looked at the item.

His face turned to surprise when he noticed it was the Millennium Eye!

"Didn't this once belong to Pegasus?" He asked.

"Yes. Pegasus once used it to capture your soul. Bring the Millennium Eye to Egypt, and I'll give you a little history lesson." Yami Bakura said.

"I don't have time to run half-way around the world, chasing fairy tale!" Kaiba snapped.

"Oh? You're not interested in learning why you share such a strong bond with your Blue-Eyes White Dragon?" Yami Bakura asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kaiba asked.

"The answer lies in the sands of Egypt, "Seto"." Yami Bakura replied as his monster attacked the field with a flash of light.

When the light cleared, Kaiba found himself alone on the roof.

He stared down at the Millennium Eye in his hand as dawn rose over the city.

* * *

"Well…here we are!" Yugi said to Cat.

"Yeah. We should probably board. They're going to leave soon." Cat said with a smile.

"YUGI! CAT!"

The two turned around to find Joey, Kay, Kate, Anzu, Honda, and Kanya running after them.

"You guys don't have to come, you know." Yugi said.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world! And besides! Anzu paid for my tickets!" Joey said with a big grin.

"I LENT you the money! It came out of my school fee you know! But that's because you "conveniently" forgot your wallet!" Anzu protested at Joey.

Joey held up his hands in defense, as he looked a little freaked out.

"R-Right…I'll pay you back every penny from my wages." He said.

"I borrowed the money from my brother." Honda said.

Kay giggled.

"My uncle paid for it." She said.

"I actually HAD the money to pay for it." Kate said.

"Honda-kun's brother paid for my ticket too." Kanya said with a smile.

"The important thing is, we're not letting you and Cat take this trip alone." Joey said.

"You guys are the best!" Yugi said with a smile.

"Yeah!" Cat agreed, smiling as well.

Yami watched everyone in spirit. "I hope they're ready for this. It's so much more than a trip to my homeland. It's a journey into my ancient past." He said to himself.

Yugi looked at Yami and smiled. "I hope you find what you're looking for." He said.


	70. The World of the Pharaoh's Memory

Everyone finally arrived in Egypt.

They walked through the airport terminal.

"We just flew all the way to Egypt, and BOY, are my arms tired!" Honda exclaimed.

"Spare us." Joey said.

Anzu stopped, noticing a gift shop. "Hold on, I'll be right back!" She said.

"We haven't even left the airport and she's shopping already!" Joey complained.

Anzu pointed to something. "I'd like that!" She said.

"Yugi!"

Everyone looked over to the voice. It was Marik, Ishizu, Kairi and Odion!

They ran up to greet them.

"There's so much to talk about. Where do we begin?" Marik asked.

"I'd like to start with lunch! How are the burger joints here?" Joey asked.

"Yugi…may I speak with the Pharaoh?" Ishizu asked.

Yugi nodded and switched with Yami.

"Welcome. You've finally come home. You have a long journey ahead, and we're honored to be your guides." Ishizu said.

"The pleasure is mine." Yami said with a smile.

* * *

The gang drove through the desert, with Odion at the wheel.

Honda, Joey, Kay, Anzu, Kate and Kanya looked eagerly out the windows.

"Wow! Look at the pyramids! And the Sphinx!" They chatted on.

Yami sat quietly and Cat looked over at him, curious to why he wasn't looking around as well. This WAS his homeland after all.

They eventually reached a stone entryway built into the side of a cliff.

"Beyond this door lies the tablet of lost memories." Ishizu said as they stood before the doorway. "You must enter without us."

"When the Pharaoh reaches the tablet, he needs to hold up the Egyptian God cards, and the gateway to his lost memory will open." Marik added in.

"From here on, you must forge your own path." Ishizu said and smiled. "Good luck."

Everyone nodded and entered the doorway, Yami leading the way.

"I have a weird feeling." Joey said.

"That's because you ate all those falafels." Honda said.

"Our job as Tombkeepers is complete." Marik said to Ishizu, outside of the doorway. "Our ancestors have awaited this for three thousand years."

"Yes…there's a place where every soul must eventually return, and the Pharaoh has begun the journey to his resting place." Ishizu agreed.

Standing on a near by cliff, Yami Bakura watched. "Yes Pharaoh…open the gateway and seal your fate!" He said.

* * *

Everyone continued down the long stairway until the finally reached an underground chamber, where they find the stone tablets from the museum.

Yami stood before the tablet of lost memories, looking at the carving of himself.

Anzu looked at Yami sadly.  
"His spirit has been around for centuries, but his memory only goes back a few years. He had a whole other life in ancient Egypt, and he doesn't remember any of it. Not even his own name!" She whispered to herself.

"Um, Yugi?" Anzu asked.

"Yes?" Yami asked.

Anzu pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Yami. "Here." She said.

Yami picked it up and looked at it. "This is…" he said.

"It's a cartouche! The guy in the gift shop told me that ancient Pharaohs used to carve their names on them." Anzu explained.

"But it's blank." Yami pointed out.

"I figured when you got your memory back, you can put your real name on it. That way, you'll never forget it again. I remember seeing a cartouche carved on the stone tablet, but the name on it was worn away." Anzu said.

"I don't know what to say! Thank you, I'll never take it off." Yami said and put it around his neck.

"Hey Cat! It looks exactly the same as your cartouche! Only…yours has writing on it." Kate pointed out.

Cat looked at Yami's cartouche and looked at hers. "You're right!" Cat smiled. "Isn't that neat, Yami-kun? We match now." She laughed lightly.

Yami smiled at her. "We do!" He agrees, chuckling a little.

Anzu's eyebrow twitched and she looked away, looking a little angry.

"Drat…maybe I should have gotten him a different colored cartouche…like a gold one or something! Those two are STILL bonding!" She growled to herself quietly so the others couldn't hear.

Yami then turned to the stone tablet. He was about to pull the three God cards out of his pocket, until…

"WAIT!"

Everyone turned around to see Marik running into the room.

"Cat, can I speak with you quickly and privately?" He asked.

"Uh…sure." Cat said, walking over to her.

Everyone stayed where they were as they glanced at Cat and Marik on the other side of the room. Not being able to hear what the two were talking about.

"I wonder what they're talking about?" Kate wondered.

"I'm not sure." Honda replied.

"What is it, Marik?" Cat asked.

"Ishizu wanted me to give you a message that she said she completely forgot to tell you." Marik said. "It's a little important and she asked me to come down here and tell you."

"Go on." Cat said.

"Well…you know the name on the back of your cartouche? The mysterious one that no one knows what it is?" Marik asked.

Cat nodded.

"Well…Ishizu forgot to tell you…" Marik leaned in and whispered. "That the name on the back of your cartouche is the Pharaoh's real name."

Cat nodded. "I've already thought about that. I was told that the Pharaoh's name was on the back, so I thought it said, "Yami". But…I always wondered if it possibly held his REAL name." She whispered back.

"Yeah. Ishizu said that when it's time…it'll reveal the Pharaoh's real name. She wanted you to know that." Marik whispered back. "That's probably how he'll discover his real name, if not anything else."

Cat nodded. "I understand." She said. "Thank you Marik."

Marik nodded and smiled. "Alright. Good luck. Oh! And Ishizu also said that it may be a good idea to keep it a secret from everyone else for now." She said.

"Alright." Cat said.

"Okay then…see ya!" Marik said before returning up the stairs.

Cat waved and returned to everyone else.

"Hey, Cat? What was that all about?" Kanya asked.

Cat shook her head.  
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you guys right now." Cat explained.

"Oh well, that's okay." Joey said.

Everyone nodded and Yami turned back to the stone tablet.

"According to the prophecy, as soon as I raise the Egyptian God cards before the tablet of lost memories, my mind will be unlocked…this is it." He said.

* * *

Yami Bakura wandered deep within the labyrinth of the Millennium Puzzle.

(In case some of you didn't know, (I didn't mention it in the story because Cat didn't appear in that part) Yami Bakura put a part of his soul into Yugi's Millennium Puzzle when a Bandit Keith (he was a rare hunter at the time) smashed it to pieces and Bakura helped Yugi get his pieces back. While he was doing that, Yami Bakura put a part of his soul in one piece.)

Yami Bakura then stood on the stairway leading to the chamber.

"The portion of my spirit he once infused within the Millennium Puzzle will finally be released, and then the Shadow Game can begin!" He said to himself.

* * *

"Go for it Yug! No matter what happens, we're right behind you!" Joey said.

Yami then pulled out the three Egyptian God Cards and held them up to the tablet.

The Millennium Puzzle carved into the tablet then started to glow a bright light that everyone had to shield their eyes.

Yami's spirit then rose out of Yugi's body and tumbled into the light.

And during this, Cat, Kay, and Kate suddenly fell to the ground.

He found himself flying down a dark tunnel.

"Where are the Egyptian Gods taking me?" He asked.

Then, without Yami noticing, Yami Bakura's spirit emerged from the Puzzle and moved back a little behind Yami and continued to fly down the tunnel.

* * *

Back in the chamber, the bright light finally faded and everyone rubbed their eyes.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Joey wondered out loud.

Everyone spotted Yugi crouched on his knees before the tablet. Joey, Honda, Kanya and Anzu ran to him.

"Are you alright?" Honda asked.

Yugi stood up. "He's gone! The Pharaoh's gone!" He cried.

"What?" Everyone cried.

Kanya paused and turned around, looking at the ground. She gasped.

Honda turned to look at her. "What is it, Kanya-chan?" He asked.

"L-Look!" She cried, pointing to Cat, Kay and Kate who were on the ground.

Yugi, Joey and Anzu looked at them.

"Whoa! What happened to them?" Joey asked.

"The answer to that question is the same answer to your first question."

Everyone looked up. It was Shadi!

"The Pharaoh and the three girls have been taken to the world of the Pharaoh's memory." He said.

"Hey, I recognize you!" Honda said. "You're the guy that rescued me and Duke from falling off that airship in Battle City!"

"How do we know we can trust this guy?" Joey asked.

"It's all right! Shadi is the guardian of the Millennium Items." Yugi explained.

Yami continued to fly through the dark tunnel until suddenly, he found himself floating about ancient Egypt!

His spirit turned into a ball of light and flew into the palace.

His hand twitched…and he slowly opened his eyes.

He gasped in shock as he stood on a balcony before a sea of people! Yami's skin was now tan and he wore all sorts of jewelry and a crown. He had a blue-violet cape and wore a cream colored tunic, along with arm cuffs on his wrists, upper arms, neck, waist and legs.

His hair was also slightly different and finally he wore a crown, the Millennium Puzzle and the cartouche.

The sea of people cheered and chanted the same thing over and over again.

"PHARAOH! PHARAOH! PHARAOH!"

Yami looked down at his hands in surprised. "Where am I?" He asked himself.

Just then a short, old man in robes walked up. His eyes were familiar…but he had tan skin, he wore a tall hat and a veil over his face.

"The public awaits. The citizens are eager to pay respect to their new Pharaoh." The man said to Yami.

Yami looked back at the crowd, still confused.

Tentatively, Yami raised his arm to the crowd. "Um…Hi!" He said.

The people suddenly became silent as the gasped and fell to their knees, prostrating themselves to him.

Yami blinked, STILL confused. "Uh…" He said.

"We've prepared a lovely ceremony in your honor. May I suggest you settle down in your throne and enjoy the festivities?" He suggested.

Later, two men hit a huge gong and Yami walked into the throne room with the man. The room was vast and the throne was at the far end.

People lined the way to the throne, bowing.

Yami looked a little startled by everything.

"Uh…it's the big chair straight ahead." The short, old man whispered to Yami.

Yami walked towards the throne. "Did I actually wonder back in time?" He wondered silently to himself.

Once he reached the throne, he sat down.

"All hail the new Pharaoh! Exalted ruler of Egypt!" The short, old man announced.

Yami suddenly looked astonished as he spotted two people that looked just like Kaiba and Ishizu!

"Kaiba? Ishizu?" He asked and looked over at the old man, who removed his veil. "And Grandpa?!"

"Who's grandpa?" The man asked.

"Your highness…maybe we should postpone the celebration?" The man who looked like Kaiba suggested.

"Uh…that won't be necessary…please continue." Yami replied, trying to sound natural.

The man nodded and turned around.  
"The time has come to begin the ceremonial festival of the Pharaohs!" He announced.

Suddenly, music was played.

Dancing girls, accompanied by drummers, danced before the throne.

"All these people work for me?" Yami whispered to himself.

He looks at the six people standing on the platform around his throne.

"What? Each of you hold a Millennium Item?" Yami asked.

"These are the six members of your sacred court! Chosen by the Millennium Items themselves!" The man who looked like Grandpa, whispered to him.

* * *

Elsewhere in the desert, a man in chains walked wearily behind two guards on horseback.

It was an ancient version of Bakura!

He fell to the ground, exhausted, forcing the guards to stop.

"Just my luck! There's a celebration at the palace and I get stuck hauling a petty thief to the dungeon!" One of the guards complained.

Suddenly, a light flashed from the sky, spooking the guard's horses. The light entered the thief.

"It worked!" The man said…it was Bakura!

He looked at the shackled on his wrists. "Although, by the looks of these chains, my timing could have been better. But my journey into the ancient past was a success!"

Suddenly, a group of men in black robes approached Bakura, while riding black horses.

Bakura stood back up and faced them; waiting as one dismounted themselves and unsheathed a long, curved sword.

Bakura's chains were cut in one slash of the sword.

The man with the sword bowed before Bakura.

"If I remember correctly, there's work to be done." Bakura said with a smirk while he rubbed his wrists. "It's been a long time, but I remember this day quite clearly. It's the day the Great Pharaoh inherited the throne of Egypt." He looked over the valley to see the palace in the distance.

* * *

"Hey! Wake up, please!"

Cat felt someone shaking her. She slowly opened her eyes, only to be looking up at a servant woman.

"Wh-wha? Who…are you?" Cat asked wearily, her eyes half open.

"Oh dear, Princess…I'm one of the servants that work here in the palace. You seem to be very tired…but I honestly didn't think that you would actually forget about the Pharaoh's ceremony and take a nap! Get up! The ceremony's only just started. You can still make it. I'm sure the Pharaoh would be please to see his future queen there." The servant woman said before leaving.

"Princess…? Ceremony? Future QUEEN?!" Cat sat up. "W-wait!" She called to the woman. But the woman didn't hear and was too far.

Cat sighed. She was sitting on a bed. "Great. Where am I?" She asked herself and looked around the room. "This…isn't the underground chamber that we were in…and where is everyone?"

Cat stood up and looked down at herself.

She gasped in shock!

She was wearing brown sandals, a long white dress with a slit on the right side that went all the way up to her hips, golden rings that were cuffed around her wrists, upper arm, neck, and waist. She also wore a small golden chest plate around her neck.

The only thing she recognized was her silver cartouche with the same writing on it.

Cat quickly whipped her head around and found a pot of water. She moved to it quickly and looked at her reflection.

She gasped again!

Also, on her forehead was a small tiara that held a blue jewel. On her ears, there were golden earrings that hung down and were shaped like wings. And lastly, her hair was still in a ponytail, only this time; it was being held up by a golden cuff of sorts that held her hair a little higher off her head.

"Oh…my…goodness!" She said slowly but strongly. "I-I'm…I'm…in Luna's body! T-that means…I came into Yami-kun's memories with him!"

Cat panicked for a moment, pacing back and forth.

She finally stopped and took a deep breath.

"Okay…calm down. Gotta be strong…okay…this is Yami-kun's memory world…so maybe…possibly…HE could be at that ceremony! Great!" She said with a determined smile…that quickly melted away. "Uh…as soon as I figure out how to get there."

Being quickly, she dashed out the door and ran through random hallways, hoping she was reach wherever the ceremony was.

It wasn't long until she skidded to a stop once she reached the large throne room.

No one seemed to notice she was there yet.

Cat looked on the ceremony and people, amazed.

"I think I found it." She said to herself before spotting Yami sitting on the throne with six people around him and one short old man standing next to his throne.

"Well, okay…maybe they'll let me simply walk through…since…I'm "Luna" after all." She said to herself and started to make her way to the throne.

The six priests looked at Cat and bowed slightly to her as she made her way up the steps.

Yami's face turned to surprise as he watched Luna (Cat) walk up the steps and up to him.

"Luna?" He asked himself. "Wait…that's right…she was a part of my life as Pharaoh."

"Ah, good afternoon, Princess." The short, old man greeted her.

Cat smiled at him weakly and turned back to Yami and leaned forward.

"Yami-kun?" She whispered. "Is that you in there?'

Yami blinked in shock. "C-Cat?" He asked.

Cat nodded nervously.  
"I don't know how it happened, but apparently I got sucked into your memories as well, and ended up in Luna's body!" She whispered.

"I see…" Yami said. "Were there any others?"

"I honestly don't know." Cat replied and stood up fully again and turned around. "Well then…I suppose I should…uh…find myself a seat!" She laughed nervously.

Cat was only able to take one step until Yami reached forward and grabbed her waist, pulling her back to him and onto his lap.

Cat yipped out in surprise.

"I don't want you too far from me. Even though these are my memories, I don't know what will happen next. Besides…they think we're engaged so we have to play the part for now." Yami whispered to her.

Cat blushed and opened her mouth to say something, but the old, short man cut them off.

"My Pharaoh…I know she's your future queen, but maybe you should focus on the festival right now." He whispered to Yami.

"Yes, I know…I was just giving her a place to sit." Yami explained.

The old man nodded.

Cat continued to blush and looked a little flustered as she kept her mouth shut.

"Cat…have you noticed that three people in here look like Yugi's Grandpa, Kaiba and Ishizu?" Yami whispered to Cat.

Cat blinked and looked around…spotting the three people.

"Now that you mention it…they do look like them!" She whispered back.

"I was starting to wonder if my experiences in the twenty-first century has somehow affected my memories of the past…but since you can see the similarities as well, my guess is that they really did live three thousand years ago! Kaiba always did seem to have a connection with ancient Egypt. The fact that his image was etched in that tablet can hardly be a coincidence." Yami whispered to her.

"You've got a point." Cat whispered.

Then…on a high balcony over the throne, a man with a blowgun crouched, unnoticed.

He centered his blowgun on the Pharaoh.

Suddenly, the woman who looked like Ishizu gasped as her Millennium Necklace glowed. "Mahaado!" She cried to another man who held the Millennium Ring.

The man named "Mahaado", quickly flung out his cloak just in time to catch the dart that the man on the balcony had tried to hit Yami with.

Yami and Cat looked surprised at what just happened.

"Guards! Stop that intruder!" The man who looked like Kaiba, ordered.

The attacker was quickly caught and bound. He was brought before Yami, Cat and the six other priests.

"Assaulting the king of Egypt is an inexcusable crime!" The woman who looked like Ishizu snapped at the man.

"We're in the midst of a sacred ceremony!" Mahaado said. "Cast that man into the dungeon!"

"Wait! I have a better idea." The man who looked like Kaiba said. "Why don't we use this rogue to demonstrate the extent of our power to the new Pharaoh? Don't you agree? Aknadin? Shimon?"

Shimon was the name of the man who looked like Yugi's Grandpa.

Aknadin was an old priest who held the Millennium Eye.

"That's fine. So let it be written, so let it be done!" Shimon said.

"We shall now start the Millennium Trial of this man's soul!" The man who looked like Kaiba announced.

"With a position of great power often comes great danger, and criminals who threaten the ruler of Egypt must be dealt with accordingly." Shimon said to Yami and Cat.

The six priests surrounded the criminal.

"Don't be alarmed, Pharaoh." The woman who looked like Ishizu said.

"We, the members of your court, are here to unsure your safety at all times." Aknadin said.

"The prisoner will now be judged by the dark magic of the Millennium Items! Shada will start!" The man who looked like Kaiba said.


	71. The Intruder

A bald man with black marks on his head jumped up.

He looked just like Shadi, only without the turban and black marks. He had the same earrings and everything!

Only the sleeves on his robe were short and he were golden arm cuffs on his upper arms and wrists.

"With the power of the Millennium Key, I'll read the prisoner's mind!" He said and held out the Key as it started to glow and he closed his eyes.

After a brief moment, he re-opened his eyes.  
"The shadow of an evil creature lurks inside this man's heart!" He announced before moving away as Aknadin takes his place.

"I'll now invoke the energies of the Millennium Eye, revealing and extracting the being that dwells within." He said and his Millennium Eye started to glow as a dark shadow began to flow from the prisoner's mouth.

"What's happening to him?" Cat asked.

"The Millennium Items have detected a shadow creature dwelling in the heart of this criminal. Little is known about these beings of darkness; only that they feed on the anger and hatred of humans." Shimon explained.

Yami and Cat looked shocked.

"Once a shadow creature is born, it forces its host to commit acts of evil, creating even more darkness to feast upon. It's also called a "Ka". Ka is a word for the spirit or soul of a person. The Ka is usually good, but is made evil by anger and hatred." Shimon continued.

Suddenly the creature appeared. It had many arms fangs and claws.

"The guardians of the sacred court use the Millennium Items to seal these monsters within stone tablets." Shimon finished.

Two men rose a large stone tablet behind the man who looked like Kaiba.

"I wonder if these are the same tablets from my visions?" Yami whispered.

"Seth! Use the powers of your Millennium Rod to seal the shadow beast!" Aknadin said to the man who looked like Kaiba.

Seth raised his Rod. "I will now use my Millennium Rod to relinquish this beast!" He cried as the Millennium Rod shot a beam of energy that captured the beast.

Seth then pointed the Rod at the stone tablet and the shadow creature was then forced into the stone tablet. Sealed.

Then, the monster's outline appeared on the stone.

"Can this be the origin of Duel Monsters? And this…this is the true power of the Millennium Items." Yami whispered.

Cat nodded.

Seth then smiled mysteriously.

* * *

"Now what?" Yugi asked Shadi.

"The Pharaoh must relive his ancient past. And since these girls were taken with him, they apparently had some sort of life or ancestor that lived back then. And so now they're reliving the events as well, because they had a connection with the Pharaoh. Whether they worked for him, were friends or even a love connection." Shadi explained. "It's the only way the Pharaoh can fulfill his destiny. But this journey is a gift as well as a curse. The Pharaoh will learn about his ancient past, but he must defeat the great evil all over again."

"Will the Pharaoh forget about us in the Memory World?" Anzu asked.

"No. Even while he's in the Memory World, the Pharaoh will retain his current memories. The Pharaoh is reliving his fate. Along with the three other girls." Shadi answered.

"That's not fair! We have to find them and bring them back to the present!" Anzu cried.

"We can't. Now that the Pharaoh and the girls are in the realm of the Pharaoh's memories, the only way they can return is by reigning victorious at the ultimate Shadow Game. A battle that decides not only their own fate, but the fate of mankind." Shadi replied.

"The Pharaoh came here to find out who he really is! Not to put himself in danger again!" Anzu protested. "And does that mean that he'll be sealed into the Puzzle again?"

"That probably means that we won't be able to see the Pharaoh again! You knew what the Pharaoh was getting into all along, and you still let him go?" Joey asked, frowning. "And you also let Cat, Kay and Kate get dragged in with him?"

Joey tried to grab Shadi's robes, but his hand passed right through him! Causing him to trip.

"WHAA! This guy is some kind of hologram!" Joey exclaimed, surprised.

"Do not fear. You will be able to see them again…if they succeed. And my earthly body was destroyed by a tomb-robber named Bakura." Shadi explained.

Everyone became shocked.

"Bakura, too, is an ancient soul, but he wants to use the Millennium Items for evil." Shadi said and took the Millennium Key and Millennium Scale from his robes. "Bakura wants to release a creature of ultimate darkness, and so, when the Pharaoh began his journey into the realm of his memories, the spirit of Bakura followed him, planning to use the Millennium Items to dominate the plant. And soon the two will begin the ultimate Shadow Game."

"He can't!" Yugi cried.

"The Pharaoh beat him the first time!" Joey said.

"But just because it happened in the past, doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen the same way again." Yugi pointed out.

"If the past is destroyed, so is the future." Anzu said.

"Why wouldn't the Pharaoh tell me about such an important matter?" Yugi wondered.

"He probably didn't want us to worry." Anzu said.

"We've got to go back to the past and make sure the Pharaoh defeats Bakura!" Yugi said.

"There's only one way to enter the realm of the Pharaoh's memory, and the doorway lies in the Millennium Puzzle." Shadi said.

"How are we supposed to find it?" Yugi asked, remembering all the many passageways within the Puzzle.

"Trust me. I'll be your guide." Shadi said.

* * *

Bakura laughed as he covered himself in riches from the former Pharaoh's tomb.

"You can never be dressed too formally when visiting a palace." He said and patted the sarcophagus he was sitting on. "I'll bring this along as a peace offering."  
He started to drag the sarcophagus behind him and carried a bag full of gold and jewels, re-meeting with his men.

"The King is waiting. We mustn't be late." Bakura said.

* * *

"Well done, Seth." Aknadin said.

"Now that we're done with this fool, we should banish him to the dungeon." Seth said. "Or if the Pharaoh pleases, we can execute the man."

"We've expelled the darkness from his heart, therefore it is the duty of the sacred court to set him free!" Aknadin said. "Release the man!"

The guards released the prisoner.

"Mahaado…palace security is your responsibility. How did the intruder make it past the royal guards?" Seth asked Mahaado.

"Seth is right." Mahaado said and bowed before Yami. "Please accept my apologies Pharaoh. The Millennium Ring has been behaving strangely lately, making it difficult to detect criminal activity. May I have the Pharaoh's permission to increase security forces to fortify the city?"

"U-uh, yes. That is fine." Yami said.

"Store that tablet in the tablet sanctuary!" Seth commanded some guards and several men dragged the large stone tablet with the sealed monster, away.

Yami placed a hand in his forehead, wearily.

Cat looked at him. "You okay?" She asked softly.

"Yes…but I can't help but wonder who that intruder was…and if there will be others." Yami replied to her quietly.

"Shall we continue with the coronation festivities?" Shimon suggested.

"What? I was just attacked!" Yami protested.

"If your followers sense your fear, they, too will feel unsafe. The best way to hide that fear is with merriment and laughter." Shimon said with a smile.

"I'll try…" Yami said.

"And don't worry! I, personally, am in charge of constructing your royal tomb." Shimon said.

Yami blinked in surprise. "M-My tomb?!" He cried.

"No thief will ever be able to escape the traps that I will have set around the tomb. I promise that you'll be able to rest in peace." Shimon said and laughed behind his hand.

"Is that so?" Yami asked.

Cat blinked. "I never understood that. I know Pharaoh's had their tombs build why they were still on the throne…but…it always seemed like they were acting like the Pharaoh was going to die soon." She whispered.

"No kidding." Yami agreed.

"We will continue the festival of the Pharaoh!" Aknadin said.

"Wait!" The woman who looked like Ishizu cried.

"What is it, Isis?" Aknadin asked.

"My Millennium Necklace senses an evil force approaching the kingdom. It lurks just outside the palace walls, and bears a great power!" Isis said.

* * *

"It's time we made our presence known!" Bakura said as he rode towards the palace. "Let the ultimate Shadow Game begin!"

Bakura and his men rode on horses towards the palace, dragging the former Pharaoh's sarcophagus along the ground behind them.

Frightened townspeople watched and dodged the flaming arrows that were being shot into buildings, setting the marketplace on fire.

The Pharaoh's guards stood firm as they held their spears. "Halt!" They demanded Bakura and his tomb robbers.

"Fools! Step aside if you value your souls!" Bakura yelled and his horse leapt over the guards, the sarcophagus sailing along behind him.

"Call for the alarm!" One of the guards cried.

Bakura's men began to attack the guards.

"We're in the presence of pure evil!" Mahaado cried as he watched his Millennium Ring glow intensely.

The priests watched in horror as one of the guards got cut down and Bakura stepped into the throne room. "Someone left me off the guest list." He said.

"Bakura." Yami growled as the drummers, dancing girls and other entertainers scattered, leaving the room.

"Bakura? I haven't seen him since Battle City!" Cat said.


	72. Ankh and Khephera

"Hey! What are you two doing?! Sleeping at a time like this!" A guard snapped and hit two girls with a pillow.

The two girls let out a yelp as they fell off what they were sleeping on.

"You two should be ashamed! You were to attend the Pharaoh's ceremony! But never mind that! We're under attack, and we require your assistance! Move it!" The guard commanded and marched off.

Kay stuck her tongue out at the man as he marched off.

"What a jerk!" She exclaimed.

Kate sat up and rubbed her head. "Ouch…that was painful." She mummered.

There was a sudden pause.

"Kate-chan…you wouldn't happen to know…where we are, would you?" Kay asked.

"I honestly have no idea." Kate said, looking around.

The two stopped once they saw each other.

They both cried out and jumped back and pointed at each other.

"Y-YOU…! YOU!" They cried.

"Why do you look different?" Kate asked.

"What are you talking about? I'm not the one who went SUNTANNING!" Kay exclaimed.

After they calmed down, they took the time to look down on themselves.

Kate was now tan and had a small black eye design under her eyes. Her hair was the same, only in a ponytail and she wore all sorts of Egyptian jewelry, which was accompanied by a cream colored dress with golden rings around her waist along with the golden Millennium Compass she always wore around her neck.

And finally she had a loose arm bracelet with a purple jewel attached to it and big earrings.

Kay looked the same. Her hair was the same and her skin was still pale.

But she wore a blue jewel on her forehead and a creme dress with flat shoes.

She also had arm cuffs and her dress had long sleeves. Along with those, she had a blue choker and blue jewel earrings.

(Whaa! Sorry if I described them wrong! I was doing Kate's by memory and Kay's by memory!)

The Guard poked his head back in the room. "I'm not going to ask you two again! Ankh! It's your duty to help fight when we need it!" The guard snapped as he was looking at Kate. He then looked at Kay. "Khephera! As priest Seth's future wife, I'm sure he could use your help as well!"

And with that, the guard stormed off.

"Wait a minute…my name's not Khephera! And who's this Priest Seth? And WHY am I apparently engaged to him?" Kay asked.

"M-My name's not Ankh either! And why am I suddenly told that it's a part of my duty to fight?" Kate asked.

The two looked at each other.

"Well…I suppose if we go, we may get some answers." Kay said.

Kate nodded and the two dashed off.

"…But we may need to ask for directions from that guard first." Kate said.

"I vote YOU talk to him." Kay said.

* * *

"Bakura! What do you want?" Yami asked, frowning.

"I think you know what I came for." Bakura answered.

"You robber!" Seth snapped.

"We'll never let you get near the Pharaoh!" Mahado exclaimed.

Bakura smirked. "That's fine. I'll fight you first, since the Millennium Items are all here." He said.

Yami and Cat gasped. "He's after the Millennium Items!" Cat cried.

* * *

Yugi clutched the Millennium Puzzle.

"The only way to reach the Pharaoh is to find a doorway inside the Millennium Puzzle." He repeated Shadi.

"There are many doorways within the Puzzle, and some lead to dark and dangerous realms. I'll guide you on your journey, Yugi. But you wish to return, you'll be on your own." Shadi said.

"We have no choice! Let's do this Yug!" Joey said.

"All for one and one for all!" Honda said.

"Thanks guys, but I'm doing this alone." Yugi said.

"Are you nuts?" Anzu asked.

"I've put your guy's lives in danger enough times already. This is something I need to do for the Pharaoh, and I'm going to do it on my own." Yugi said.

"You should realize by now that you can't ditch us that easily!" Joey said.

"We've stuck with you on every adventure for the last four years!" Anzu reminded him.

"Do you really think we're going to stop now?" Honda asked.

"Are you guys sure?" Yugi asked.

"I'm sure we're sure!" Kanya laughed.

"Everyone hold hands and concentrate." Shadi said as everyone held hands in a circle and held up the Millennium Key. "Millennium Key, guide us through the labyrinth of the Millennium Puzzle."

They Key started to glow and the Puzzle glowed in response.

* * *

"I hope I didn't ruin your celebration, Pharaoh!" Bakura laughed.

Seth held up the Millennium Rod. "You'll be punished for mocking the Pharaoh!" He cried.

"I live on the outskirts of your little kingdom, and your rules don't apply to me!" Bakura said. "Now, hand over your Millennium Items! But…not for free."

Bakura tossed the riches he stole from the former Pharaoh's tomb at the Priest's feet.

Shimon looked horrified.

"You stole those!" He cried.

Bakura didn't look phased. "I've brought another token of my esteem." He said and whistled for his horse.

His horse galloped into the palace, dragging the former Pharaoh's sarcophagus behind it.

When the horse stopped, the sarcophagus slid towards Bakura.

Bakura stopped it with his foot.

"Say hello to your previous king." He said.

Everyone looked horrified.

"You THEIF!" Seth yelled.

"Now you've gone too far, Bakura! Your soul must be judged by the Millennium Items!" Yami snapped.

"Guards! Bring a tablet at once! Let the Millennium Trial begin!" Seth ordered.

"Your weak magic will never contain me." Bakura laughed.

"No mortal can resist the power of the sacred items!" Shada said.

A priest stepped forward. "Hold on." He said, holding the Millennium Scale.

"What is it Karim?" Shada asked.

Everyone looked at the Millennium Scale. It was tipping back and forth.  
"It's unable to find balance! Which means that the evil in Bakura's heart is immeasurable." Karim explained.

"He's right…I see a darkness which knows no bounds." Aknadin said. "His soul is a bottomless pit, in which thrives a terrifying creature!"

Shada held up the Millennium Key. "Reveal the beast lurking within this beast!" He cried as Bakura started to laugh.

In Shada's vision, he saw a huge serpent, which struck Shada, swallowing him up.

Shada opened his eyes and gasped.

"That's no ordinary beast!" He said. "It's the most powerful being I've ever witness! The sealing tablet is far too small!"

"That's ridiculous!" Seth cried.

"Seth's right…we've never had any difficulty before." Aknadin agreed.

While all this is happening, Kay and Kate ran into the room.

"Whoa! This room is huge!" Kay exclaimed.

No one had noticed the two yet.

Kate looked around and gasped. "Kay-chan! Look!" She cried as she pointed to Yami and Cat.

"Am I seeing things? That's the Pharaoh and Luna! Right?" Kay cried.

"I think so." Kate said. "But…the Pharaoh should be the Pharaoh we know from the present. But…I don't think we know this Luna. But…since we were sucked in…there's a possibility…that, that could be Cat in Luna's body!"

Kay blinked a couple of times and snickered. "And she's sitting on the Pharaoh's lap. I'm NEVER going to let her live this down, now." She giggled.

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Remember Kay-chan…there's still a possibility that, that's not even Cat. It could really be Luna." She said.

"Yeah, I know, I know." Kay said.

"Anyways…we should probably go over to them and ask them what's going on. But if I had to guess, then I would say that the problem is that guy over there." Kate said and pointed at Bakura.

"I wouldn't doubt that. Everyone doesn't look too happy with him." Kay said.

"Anyways…let's go!" Kate said and started to make her way to Yami and Cat.

"Right!" Kay said and followed Kate.

They walked up to them and stood in front of them, staring.

Cat and Yami blinked at them and Cat leaned over to Yami.

"Hey…don't these two look…awfully familiar?" She whispered.

"Indeed…they do." Yami agreed.

Kate pointed at Cat. "Luna?" She asked.

"Uh…Cat?" Cat replied.

Kay grinned and leaned over to Cat. "Well, well…miss "I don't know if I love him yet" is sitting in the Pharaoh's lap." She whispered in her ear.

Cat's eye grew. "K-Kay-chan?!" She cried.

Kay pulled back and laughed. "You got that right!"

"Wait! Kay's here? Then the other one is Kate, right?" Yami asked.

Kate nodded.

"What are you guys doing here?" Cat asked.

"I wish we knew." Kate shrugged.

"All I know is that you're in Luna's body…so everyone must think your Luna right? And the Pharaoh…erm…well my guess is, is that he's in the body of how he was three thousand years ago." Kay said.

"But…what about you guys?" Cat asked.

"They call me "Ankh". And apparently I have the duty as a guard of the Pharaoh." Kate explained.

"And they called me "Khephera". And… I seriously don't know what MY duty is! All I was told was that I was engaged to "Priest Seth"…whoever that is!" Kay said.

"Seth?" Yami asked. "He's that man over there." He pointed to Seth, but his back was turned to them.

Kay sweatdropped. "Oookay. Nice back he has?" She said.

Then, suddenly, Seth turned around and noticed Kay and Kate.

Kay's eyes grew as she saw him.

"W-Wh-Whoa! Wait a minute! Please tell me I am seeing things! Because I think I'm seeing an Egyptian form of Kaiba!" She cried.

"You're not seeing things." Yami said. "Apparently that really IS an ancient form of Kaiba."

"Oh…my." Kay said, looking a little flustered.

Seth marched up to the four.  
"Ankh, we need you to guard the Pharaoh, the Princess, Shimon and Khephera." He ordered.

Kate blinked a couple of times and tried to act natural.

She stiffened up a little and frowned in determination. "Right!" She said with a nod.

Seth nodded and turned to Kay.

"And Khephera, the enemy comes up here to the point where Ankh has to fight, I want you to take the Pharaoh, the Princess and Shimon to a safe area, alright?" He asked.

"Uh…sure?" Kay answered, still shocked.

"Alright then." Seth said with a nod before kissing Kay's cheek and returning to where he was.

Kay's face turned red and little hairs stuck out from her head.

"Oooh, did I just see what I thought I saw?" Cat asked with a grin.

Kay twitched a little and Kate sweatdropped.

"I'm starting to think that all this is becoming too much for her." She said with a small grin.


	73. The Chosen Pharaoh

Bakura continued to laugh as, suddenly, Diabound, a monster, rose from behind him.

"T-that's unbelievable!" Aknadin cried. "How can such a creature live in the heart of a petty thief?"

"Diabound, meet the Pharaoh…Pharaoh, meet your demise!" Bakura laughed.

"You're mistaken!" Seth cried and used the Millennium Rod to seal Diabound within a stone tablet that was brought in recently.

"Just as I suspected! Bakura's soul has been cleansed." Seth said.

"Oh, thank you Seth, for saving my life. That horrible creature was controlling my mind, and now I'm finally free!" Bakura said in a gentle voice before laughing and changing his voice back to normal. "Free to annihilate you all!"

"That's impossible! It didn't work!" The Priests exclaimed.

Just then, the sealing tablet began to crack and Diabound burst from it, returning to Bakura.

"I think I've already won this game…before it's even begun." Bakura said with an evil grin.

Everyone laid on the floor, inside the Millennium Puzzle. Joey was the only one awake.

"Yugi! Wake up!" Joey cried as he shook his friend.

Yugi slowly opened his eyes and sat up. "Whew…are you okay, Joey?" He asked.

Joey nodded and turned to Honda, Kanya and Anzu, shaking them. "C'mon guys! Rise and shine!" He said.

The other woke up as well.

"Where are we?" Kanya asked, rubbing her head.

"We're inside the Millennium Puzzle. Deep within the twists and turns of its many passageways." Yugi said.

"It seems bigger than last time. Did you do some remodeling, Yug?" Joey asked.

"The Puzzle is a reflection of the Pharaoh's mind, and is ever changing." Shadi said as he appeared.

"That explains why this place is so complicated." Joey said.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go and find the Pharaoh." Honda said.

Yugi looked around.

"Hey Shadi! Use your Millennium Key to point us in the right direction!" Joey said.

"What do you mean Yugi left the country?" Kaiba asked as he was on the phone with Roland.

"The flight logs indicate that Yugi boarded a jet for Cairo with seven companions just yesterday." Roland said.

Kaiba frowned and hung up as he stared at the Millennium Eye sitting on his desk.

"Why would the Geek Squad fly to Egypt? And why now?" He wondered to himself out loud. "Bakura must have gotten to Yugi to."

"I knew you'd be powerless against the dark energy of my Diabound!" Bakura laughed.

"We must unite to conquer this adversary!" Aknadin said to the other Priests.

They all nodded and held up their arms. Golden devices with wing-like sections on their arms unfolded.

"They have Duel Disks?" Yami exclaimed.

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about." Shimon said.

Yami pointed to the device, which was on his arm as well.

"I don't think they're duel disks." Kay said.

"They don't look like it." Kate said.

"It's for calling forth Shadow creatures that have been sealed away in stone tablets. Once the creatures have been sealed in stone, they're stored in tablet sanctuaries until summoned by the mechanism known as a Diadiankh." Shimon explained.

"They're just like ancient Duel Disks." Cat whispered so only Yami, Kay and Kate could hear.

"I'm waiting for the Priests to come out a play!" Bakura called.

"Be careful. We must combine our power." Aknadin said to the other Priests.

"I can defeat this thief on my own!" Seth said, ignoring Aknadin's warning. He then, raised his Diadiankh and called forth a creature of darkness to join him in battle.

Outside of the palace, within a pyramid-shaped building that was filled with stone tablets, a light shot out from one of the tablets and sped through the air and into Seth's Diadiankh.

The creature formed on one of his Diadiankh's wings.

"This is where it all began!" Yami exclaimed.

"I summon Garestgolath!" Seth cried as a dragon-beast formed before him.

But Bakura only laughed.

"Now this is a Shadow Game!" He said.

"Garestgolath, wage war with Diabound!" Seth cried.

"We're witnessing the origin of Duel Monsters." Kate whispered so only her friends could hear.

"No one who disrespects the Pharaoh shall go unpunished!" Seth cried.

"We must be watching the first Shadow game ever played." Kay whispered.

Seth's monster attacked Bakura's monster, but before it could reach Bakura's monster, Bakura called forth "Winged Sage Falcos", which attacks and destroys Seth's monster, Garestgolath.

"What?! Only those in the royal court can summon monsters!" Seth cried.

"How did you summon that beast? You don't have a Diadiankh!" Mahado asked.

"Might I remind you, I paid a visit to the old Pharaoh's tomb, and "borrowed" a few of his toys…like his Diadiankh!" Bakura explained and held up the Diadiankh on his arm and the wings unfolded, showing the image of Diabound and Winged Sage Falcos.

"You're interfering with forces beyond your control!" Isis warned Bakura.

"I'm in complete control of these forces, thanks to your former kind and his personal collection of monsters!" Bakura said.

Seth glared at Bakura.  
"How dare you disturb the great protectors of the sacred crypt of King Aknamkanon!" He snapped at Bakura.

"Those creatures were placed there to safeguard the tomb of the Great Pharaoh!" Aknadin protested.

"I don't think so! The former Pharaoh was a tyrant, who destroyed my village when he tried to fashion the seven Millennium Items in a selfish attempt to further his own power!" Bakura snapped.

"What? My father created the Millennium Items?" Yami said, amazed.  
Cat, Kay and Kate looked amazed as well.

"Bakura is lying! King Aknamkanon put an end to the war that ravaged our nation, and brought peace and prosperity! He created the seven Millennium Items to insure that harmony would reign forever in Egypt!" Aknadin said.

"The Pharaoh then gave us the Millennium Items to us, in order to keep the peace and help the rule the land with justice, as well as thwart evildoers like you!" Seth added in.

"Who do you think you are?" Bakura asked. "The Millennium Items were built to react with the inner darkness of the person that holds them. The fact that you wield the seven Items makes every one of you an evildoer, just like your so-called keeper of peace, King Aknamkanon! The king wanted power! That's why he devised a plan to use the seven Millennium Items to control the world! The secret lies in the village of Kul Elna!"

"What you speak is treason!" Aknadin cried, but secretly wondered to himself…how Bakura could have possibly known about the village of Kul Elna? The secret of its existence was buried ages ago!

"Deep beneath the sands of Kul Elna, lies the Millennium Stone. Place the seven Items in this stone, and ultimate power will be yours!" Bakura explained.

"I wonder…does Bakura speak the truth?" Yami wondered.

Cat frowned slightly. "I don't know. But I don't trust him." She said.

"I don't know where you came from! But I know where you must go!" Aknadin said to Bakura and then looked at Seth. "Destroy him!"

"Nothing would please me more!" Seth said and summoned Battle Ox.

The other priests called upon their monsters.

Karim called Bastet.

Isis called Spiria.

Shada called Zelua.

Aknadin called Gadius.

And Mahado called Illusion Magician.

The monsters all appeared from the tablet sanctuaries.

Mahado's Illusion Magician destroyed Bakura's Winged Sage Falcos.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Bakura said. "Diabound! Attack!"

Diabound destroyed Bastet, Zelua and Gadius while the other three monsters were thrown against the wall.

"I've never seen such strength!" Shada exclaimed.

"Bakura's outnumbered." Aknadin said.

"Let me attack again!" Mahado said, but Seth stopped him.

"Your creature would only be destroyed. You'll have another chance, but we need to weaken his monster first." He said and summoned Mystic Horseman. "Karim! Take over!"

"Using the power of the Millennium Scale, I will combine the spirits of Mystic Horseman and Battle Ox!" Karim said as the Millennium Scale glowed, as well the monsters.

And before anyone knew it, Rabid Horseman formed before them.

"This must be the origin of Monster fusion." Cat said.

"Rabid Horseman! Attack Diabound!" Seth ordered.

But Diabound counter attacked by stopping Rabid Horseman's sword arm with it's serpent tail.

"Mahado! This is your chance!" Seth said to Mahado.

"Illusion Magician! Use the power of Binding Illusion to capture Diabound!" Mahado ordered and Diabound was trapped. But he soon broke free, sending shockwaves towards the priests, causing them to be thrown against the wall.

"How can this possibly be?" Shimon wondered. "One man overpowering six priests?"

Bakura laughed. "You should consider replacing your staff, Pharaoh!" He said.

Yami looked furious.

"You're on sacred ground! And your disrespect is appalling!" He yelled at Bakura.

"Well, excuse me for not respecting a kingdom that destroyed my home!" Bakura cried as Diabound attacked again.

Isis called on Spiria to create a shield.

Diabound attack was repelled, but Spiria was destroyed, causing Isis to collapse.

Mahado gasped as he saw Isis fall and turned to Bakura angrily. "This isn't over!" He cried.

"It will be soon. One more attack, and the palace will be reduced to rubble!" Bakura said.

Yami frowned angrily and stood up with Cat.

"Bakura! Leave, now!" He cried as he moved over to stand before his guardians.

"Pharaoh! Let us deal with the intruder!" Seth said.

But Yami ignored him.

"Is this is the ultimate Shadow Game you spoke of? Trespassing on sacred ground and tarnishing the name of my ancestors? You've reached a new low!" He continued.

"You don't know the first thing about your ancestors!" Bakura said and kicked the sarcophagus towards Yami. "Maybe this will jar your memory!"

Shimon ran over and fell upon the sarcophagus. "I never imagined that King Aknamkanon's return to the palace would be so disgraceful." He said with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry you had to see this, Pharaoh. We can't let this monster continue to dishonor our heritage with his false accusations and lies. You mustn't believe anything Bakura says about the former Pharaoh, Aknamkanon. He was kind and just."

Yami kneeled down and touched the sarcophagus. "I believe you." He said to Shimon.

Cat, Kay and Kate looked from the throne, sadly.

"You know…I may not know everything about ancient Egypt…but I do know that it's a horrible thing when your father is dragged to you from his grave by a thief." Kay said.

"Poor Yami-kun…I guess this will be his first memory of his father, regained." Cat said sadly.

"Yeah." Kate agreed.

As Yami stared at the sarcophagus, it seemed to have pulsed for a moment.

"Justice lies with the Egyptian Gods."

What? Yami heard the voice…but no one with him said it. Where did it come from?

"We're in the middle of a battle! The Pharaoh interrupted me just as Diabound was about to deal the finishing blow! Do you have any last words before I end this Shadow Game and seizes your Millennium Items, Pharaoh?" Bakura asked as Diabound started an attack.

Yami stood up and activated his Diadiankh. "You've forgotten something! I can call upon the Egyptian gods!" He said.

The Priests looked shocked. "Can it be? The legendary God monsters?" Shimon asked. "Are you referring to the three Egyptian gods that guard the Pharaoh's tomb? The scriptures say that only the chosen king will know the names of these monsters."

"Legendary gods of Egypt! In the name of every Pharaoh that came before! Come forth!" Yami called.

"Awaken and rid the sacred palace of this darkness, Obelisk." The same voice Yami heard before said.

Suddenly a column of light formed over the palace as Yami summoned Obelisk, the Tormentor.

The priests all gasped as Obelisk appeared.

Cat, Kay and Kate looked slightly amazed, but not as much, for they had seen Obelisk before.

"This can't be happening!" Bakura cried and then ordered Diabound to attack with the Blue-Eyes' White lightening attack that he absorbed from Kaiba in the duel before everyone came to Egypt.

The two attacks clashed and the palace became filled with bright light.

* * *

Kaiba turned from the window he was looking out to stare at the Millennium Eye.

"I…I could have sword I just heard Blue-Eyes!" He cried.

* * *

Outside of the royal city, upon a rocky outcrop, a white-haired woman with pale skin and blue eyes watched the light from the battle, rising from the palace.

Finally the two monsters' attacks exploded in a flash of light and they fell back, neither destroyed.

"It's impossible!" Shada exclaimed. "Their power is equal!"

Yami bent over from Obelisk's struggle and after a moment straightens up, calling Obelisk back.

Bakura grinned as he kneeled down on one knee. He also called Diabound back.

"I can't believe Bakura withstood the assault of an Egyptian God!" Seth cried in amazement.

Bakura stood up shakily. "If I hadn't acquired the attacking power of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes, Diabound would have been destroyed. I'd better take my leave, for now." He said quietly to himself. "This isn't over, Pharaoh! And you, Mahado! Don't grow too fond of the Millennium Ring. At one time, it was mine."

"Lies! The Item was created for me!" Mahado said.

"But it's destined for me." Bakura said. "In fact, all seven Millennium Items have been fated to fall into my hands."

And with that, Bakura turned and ran to his horse.

"Stop!" Yami shouted, but it was too late. Bakura rode away.

"Guards! After him!" Aknadin ordered some guards.

Yami ran out onto the balcony he woke up on, to watch as Bakura leaped his horse over the guards again and down from several high stone walls to the ground.

* * *

Bakura and his men rode down the main street of the city.

* * *

"I was…sent back in time to relive these events all over again." Yami said to himself and looked up into the sky, where he noticed an upside-down pyramid poking down through the clouds.

Shimon, Mahado, Cat, Kay, and Kate joined him.

"What is that strange object in the sky?" Yami asked.

"What do you mean?" Mahado asked.

Yami pointed up towards the upside-down pyramid. "It's right there in plain sight!"

But Shimon and Mahado couldn't see it.

"I can see it." Cat whispered. "Why can't they?"

"I'm not sure." Kate said.

"Go inside, Pharaoh. It's been a long day." Shimon said.

"Alright." Yami said and looked at the other three girls. He could tell that they could see the pyramid too. He faintly thought to himself that it must have had something to do with Bakura's Shadow Game…but why were him and the girls the only ones who could see it?

Seth came out onto the balcony to join them, wondering if Yami was really the chosen Pharaoh the scriptures spoke of.

"The Pharaoh fought bravely." Aknadin said, standing behind Seth.

"Thanks to the Pharaoh, we can all rest well." Seth said.

"If only Kaiba could see himself fighting boldly at my side." Yami said.

Kay giggled. "That would be a sight to see. Too bad he's a stubborn guy."

* * *

"Can't these people see that it's only a card game?" Kaiba wondered, staring at his Blue-Eyes White Dragon card.

He glanced over at the Millennium Eye sitting on his desk.

"What are you looking at? Do you think it'll really change my mind?" He asked the object and picked it up, holding it in front of his face. "I'm NOT going to Egypt!"

There was a pause.

"Look at me…I'm talking to an eyeball." Kaiba mummered as he continue to stare into the Millennium Eye. Suddenly, he saw a vision of himself as Seth, standing on the balcony with the Pharaoh, Luna, Khephera and Ankh.

Kaiba leapt to his feet and dropped the eye.

Kaiba got on his Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet, speeding off to Cairo.

"I've been hearing about this ancient nonsense for too long! The only what to shut these people up is to probe them all wrong!" He growled.

* * *

Aknadin stood in the tablet sanctuary with Seth.  
"Has there been any word on Bakura?" Aknadin asked.

"With an entire squadron of guards on his trial, he won't go far." Seth replied.

"I don't think so. After seeing Bakura's frightening display of power." Aknadin said, looking up at the carvings of the three legendary god monsters. "We're not dealing with any ordinary thief. Bakura's harboring a creature whose strength rivals that of the Egyptian Gods."

"That gives me an idea. The tablet sanctuary is full of creature we've pulled from the hearts of criminals. Surely there must be other evildoers harboring as much darkness as Bakura." Seth said.

Aknadin remembered Bakura telling them about how the secret lied in the village of Kul Elna. Perhaps Bakura escaped from that village before it was destroyed. That would have explained the incredible power of the beast within him, for his anger and hatred would be immeasurable.

"All we need to do is find these criminals and use the Millennium Items to harness the evil creatures that dwell within their hearts. Then we'll have an unstoppable army of Shadow creatures." Seth continued.

"What you're suggesting is completely immoral. Not to mention quite dangerous." Aknadin protested.

"We'd be reducing the amount of lawbreakers that wreak havoc on the kingdom, and in the end, we'd be creating this monster army to protect the people of Egypt. That is what we all promised to do as Priests of the Pharaoh. And as Sacred Guardians." Seth said.

* * *

In another part of the palace, Isis sat before a round stone table with a blue flame rising from a hole in the middle of it, concentration on her Millennium Necklace.

Karim and Shada watched her as she attempted to read the future, but after a moment, she shook her head in failure.

"Ever since Bakura arrived, my vision of the future has been clouded, but I must continue my efforts to see through the darkness." She said.

"Preserve your energy, Isis. The battle with Bakura has taken its toll on all of us." Shada said.

"Yes. When Bakura returned we'll need our full power to face him. Get some rest, Isis." Karim said.

"I appreciate your help, but my Millennium Necklace might be our only hope of knowing what Bakura is plotting next. With the well-being of the citizens of Egypt at stake, rest is a luxury I can't afford." Isis said.


	74. New, Yet Old Friends

Yami stood on the balcony with Cat, Kay and Kate, watching the pyramid in the sky.

"If I'm unable to save mankind from the evil that's about to unfold…what will become of the future?" He asked.

"I don't know, but it probably won't be anything good." Kate said.

Yami looked down at the cartouche he received earlier, in his hand. "The safety of our friends depends on my victory. I'll do whatever I can to protect Yugi. You three, and everyone else." He said.

"We'll do our best to help as well." Cat said.

* * *

"Every door looks the SAME!" Honda complained.

"We'll never find the right one." Yugi sighed.

Honda opened a door, only to find another door. "Everytime I open one door, I find fifty more inside!" He cried.

"Even the doors have doors!" Joey cried.

Anzu looked at her watch. "Either the batteries just died, or time is standing still." She said.

Kanya looked at her watch. "You're right." She said.

Everyone continued to look around.

"Arg! If we don't find the right door soon, I'm gonna lose it!" Honda cried.

Joey decisively pointed at a random door.

"That's the one! I don't have a Millennium Thingy, but I DO have instincts!" He cried, looking rather proud of himself.

Honda nodded. "Let's bust that sucker down!" He said.

Honda and Joey started to run for the door.

"Guys! Wait!" Yugi warned them, but it was too late.

Joey kick opened the door and him and Honda charged through…only to find themselves running on thin air! The door led to an open space, far above the floor they were just on!

In time, they managed to grab the edge of the doorway, before they fell to the floor where Yugi, Kanya, Anzu and Shadi stood, looking up at them.

"That's weird. How can they be up there, and down here?" Yugi asked as he looked up where Joey and Honda were hanging and then looked at the door in front of them, where Joey and Honda were clinging to the doorway.

"Ask questions later." Anzu said as she, Yugi and Kanya pulled Joey and Honda to safety.

"Many doorways within the Millennium Puzzle contain traps." Shadi said.

Joey and Honda jumped to their feet.

"YOU COULD HAVE TOLD US THAT SOONER!" They both cried.

Everyone continued their way through the Puzzle before Anzu stopped. "You know…no one is closer to the Pharaoh than Yugi…maybe if Yugi concentrates, he can figure out which door the Pharaoh is behind." She suggested.

"I'll try, but ever since the Pharaoh's spirit left the Puzzle, I haven't sensed him at all." Yugi said and tried calling for Yami in his mind.

* * *

Yami, Cat, Kay and Kate were still on the balcony as Yugi called for him.

"It's strange. Everyone here seems to know me quite well, but I have no memory of any of them. What did all these people mean to me when I was Pharaoh? Were they my friends? Or merely my servants?" Yami wondered.

"Well…I may not know the answer, but either way, if you treat them like your friends, all should go well. I mean…being the person you are, you probably made friends with them." Cat said with a smile.  
Yami chuckled. "Maybe." He said.

Mahado then walked up to them and kneeled before Yami.

"I apologize for the interruption, but it's not wise for you and the girls to be outside alone." He said.

"You're right." Yami said with a smile.  
"I suggest you stay close, especially after today." Mahado told the four and they began to walk through the palace.

All of the sudden, a large pot beside the five rattled.

Yami stopped. "Did you guys hear that noise?" He asked, looking at the pot.

Mahado stepped in front of the four. "Stay behind me." He said, preparing to face the intruder.

And suddenly, a young girl, who had a striking resemblance to the Dark Magician Girl, leaped out from the pot and onto Yami, glomping him.

Everyone looked at the girl, confused. Everyone except Mahado.

Mahado plucked the girl off of Yami.

"Mana! What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"What? I can't pay a visit to my oldest friend?" Mana asked. "Ever since he's become the new Pharaoh, we haven't been able to talk."

"It's only been one day!" Mahado said.

Yami smiled. "You're Mana. You and I grew up together." He said, beginning to remember who she was.

Mana laughed. "I know we haven't spoken for a whole day, but you haven't forgotten me, have you?" She asked. "After all those years of practicing magic together? We're practically family!"

"Of course." Yami said.

"Have you been walking around in the desert without a hat, again? You're acting really strange." Mana said. "Hmph! At least Luna would never forget her best friend, would she? Please tell me you didn't forget me, right?"

Mana looked at Cat.

Cat blinked. "Uh…" She said.

"Agh! What is with you two! Seriously!" Mana cried in frustration.

"That's enough, Mana. It's not like it used to be. Can't you see that he is the King of Egypt now? And he doesn't have time fo-" Mana cut Mahado off.

"He doesn't have time to speak for himself? Is that why you have been doing all the talking, Mahado?" Mana asked.

Yami watched the two argue, smiling.

"Hey, Cat! That girl, Mana…doesn't she look an awful lot like…" Kate whispered to Cat.

Cat nodded.

"She does look like the Dark Magician Girl…maybe…she is?" She asked. "I remember whenever I played her card on the field, she would always treat me like a close friend. And she said Luna was one of her best friends, right? Maybe that's why!"

"How did you get past the guards anyway?" Mahado asked Mana.

"Let's just say my magic has been improving." Mana answered with a smile as she looked at the guards at the bottom of the stairway.

The guards were surrounded with a pinkish purple light and they weren't moving.

"Did you use your freezing spell? We need the guards to protect the palace." Mahado reminded Mana.

"No problem." Mana said and tried to unfreeze the guards, but it didn't work. "Uh-oh."

She materialized a spell book, looking through it frantically to find the de-freezing spell.

"Hurry up, Mana." Mahado urged her.

"It's good to know I have friends here as well." Yami laughed quietly.

Kay raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And we're not good enough?" She asked.

Yami looked over his shoulder to look at them and sweatdropped. "N-No, that's not what I meant. I-I meant…" He said, but stopped.

"We know what you meant." Cat said with a smile. "You were just happy that they weren't merely your servants and they were actually your friends, right?"

Yami nodded and smiled.


	75. Mahaado's Battle

Bakura sat in the hills, overlooking the city. He frowned as he at a fig.

"Perhaps trying to acquire all seven Millennium Items at once was a bit ambitious. No matter. They'll come to me in time. For now, I'll focus on one in particular. The Millennium Ring. Once I obtain that, the others will soon follow." He said.

* * *

Mahado led a party of guards through the city the next morning. "The damage looks quite extensive." On of the guards said.

"I won't let Bakura get away with it." Mahado said to himself.

A little boy ran up to Mahado. "Are you going to protect us from that scary guy?" The boy asked Mahado.

Mahado smiled to the boy and nodded. "We are. I promise that Bakura will not scare anyone again." He said.

"Good." The boy smiled and ran off.

Mahado smiled as he watched the boy and paused when he noticed the Millennium Ring's pointers were pointing to the hills beyond the city. He looked up and saw Bakura on horseback on the hilltop.

"I'll do everything in my power to keep Bakura's darkness from this kingdom." He said to himself.

* * *

Yami and Cat were taking a walk in an inner courtyard, with Mana skipping beside them.

"Is everything really going to change now that you've become the big, important Pharaoh?" Mana asked Yami.

"It's hard to remember what life was like before I was king." Yami replied, not looking at her.

"Hm, you must have a lot on your mind these days. Do you guys still have time for me?" Mana asked.

"Of course." Yami replied.

Cat smiled at Mana. "We'll always have time for you." She said.

Mana smiled back and Yami stopped walking.

"Mana. Could you…would you…tell me more about us?" He asked hesitantly, hoping to regain more memories.

Mana stopped beside him with Cat.

"This Pharaoh thing has made you weird." Mana said and then quickly covered her mouth. "Oops, did I say that out loud?"

"It's fine." Yami laughed.

"Now that you're the Pharaoh, I should start calling you things like, "Your Highness"." Mana said.

Everyone laughed.

"And since Luna is about to be your Queen soon, I should start calling her "Your Highness" as well." Mana said with a smile.

Cat blushed and laughed weakly.

* * *

Isis walked through another part of the courtyard, until she ran into Mahado.

"Have you discovered what the future holds for our kingdom?" Mahado asked.

"I haven't. The Millennium Necklace has been acting strangely." Isis replied.

"My Ring has too." Mahado said.

"It's Bakura." Isis said with a harder look.

"Don't worry. I have faith that our new Pharaoh will lead us through the darkness." Mahado said with a smile and then walked on past her.

* * *

A little while later, Isis sat before the blue flame again. "Please Millennium Necklace…show me what lies in the future." She said.

At first she saw nothing but swirling darkness. But then, suddenly, a light glows and she sees some glimpses of a battle between Bakura's Diabound and Mahado's Illusion Magician. Then she saw another vision of Mahado and a shape like a huge scythe.

Isis started back in shock.

"These are jumbled pieces of events yet to come. I sense a great evil…I must tell Mahado!" She said.

* * *

Yami sat on his throne with Shimon, Cat, Kay, Kate and the six priests around him.

Mahado kneeled before the throne. "Rest assure, that the tomb of the former king, Aknamkanon, will never be disturbed again. My team of sorcerers are casting spells to secure its walls as we speak." He said.

"Excellent." Yami said.

"I'll believe the tomb is safe from intruders, once I've tested it for myself." Seth said. "We've seen what your magicians-in-training are capable of. I think a bit more training couldn't hurt. If you mess up again, you might not stay a priest of the court."

"That's enough, Seth." Shimon said.

"Yes." Yami said and turned to Mahado. "Good luck, and thank you."

* * *

Mahado and his team of sorcerers headed out from the palace, dragging a stone tablet behind them.

"WAIT! MASTER PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU!" Mana cried from the balcony, trying to leap off it to follow Mahado, but Shimon was holding her back.

"I'VE BEEN PRACTICING MY SPELLS AND I CAN HELP!" She continued before Shimon pulled her from the balcony's edge and Mana fell on him, causing them both to fall over.

"It's too dangerous, you're merely a student!" Shimon said as the two got back up.

"I'm Mahado's top student and I have twice the skills of any of the magicians he's leading to the tomb! He needs me!" Mana protested.

"You underestimate the skills of your teacher! Mahado is a strong wizard, and he'll be fine." Shimon said.

"I know." Mana said reluctantly.

Shimon nodded, thinking to himself that what Mana didn't know, was that Mahado's true power was so great, he had to lock a potion of it away for his own safety. If Mahado were to release his full ability, his strength could exceed that of any priest in the Pharaoh's court.

They watched Mahado and his men walk away.

As Mahado and his men were heading to their destination, Isis stepped into Mahado's path.

"What's wrong?" Mahado asked.

"I'm not sure if you should go through with this." Isis said.

"Oh…you were able to read my future." Mahado said. "I'd prefer not to know. Keep an eye on the Pharaoh."  
And with that, he continued on.

"In my vision…you do return." Isis said as he passed her.

Mahado stopped.

"Thank you." He said and continued on.

"It's always been my duty to protect the Pharaoh. I remember a time when we were children." He whispered to himself.

* * *

_A young child version of Mana jumped over and over to try and reach the plum in a tree but stopped when a younger Yami picked it for her, handing it to her._

_A younger version of Mahado walked up. "I found you." He said._

_"I should have guessed my father asked you to look after me." Yami said to him._

_But before Mahado could say anything, he spotted a poisonous snake in the tree branches behind Yami and Mana. The snake inched towards Yami._

_Mahado quickly pushed Yami out of the way, getting bitten on the arm by the snake in the process._

_Mana cried out in surprise as Mahado fell to the ground, clutching his arm. "Prince…are you alright?" He asked._

_"I'm fine, but what about you?" Yami asked, kneeled down and began to suck the poison from Mahado's bite._

_Mahado looked surprised. "The future Pharaoh needn't do this!" He protested._

_"I'm getting the poison out" Yami insisted. "I know you would do the same for me, because we're friends. Someday, when I become Pharaoh, I know that you'll be standing right by my side."_

* * *

"Even as a child, the Pharaoh protected me. Even more than I protected him. I promise to return the favor." Mahado whispered to himself.

"Sir…the Valley of the Kings isn't this way." One of Mahado's men said.

"Be quite! Our orders are to follow Master Mahado." One of the leaders said.

Mahado glanced up to see a robed figure following them on horseback, on the ridge above them.

Not reacting, they continued through the desert ravine, until they came to a stone cave entrance.

Mahado walked up to the entrance and stood alone.

"I swore I would never do this." He said. "But I don't see any other way. In order to defeat Bakura, I must release the power I sealed away long ago."

He walked inside.

"Millennium Ring! Unlock the force I buried here!" He called.

* * *

Outside the cave, Bakura and his men arrived.

Bakura grinned evilly and rode in. "Follow me, men!" He called as he rode inside.

As his men tried to follow, they were forced to stop, for Mahado's men started rolling large stones down the hill to block the cave entrance.

"Good luck, Master Mahado." One of them said.

Bakura looked at the blocked entrance. "Looks like I've been sealed inside. What a lousy trick." He mummered to himself and dismounted from his horse. "Looks like it's just Mahado and me."

He walked further into the cave until he spotted Mahado, with an aura of power glowing around him, standing at the far end of a bridge of stone.

Bakura grinned and walked out onto the bridge. "Let the festivities commence." He said.

"I've been waiting for you, Bakura." Mahado said.

* * *

Bakura's henchmen circled on their horses.

On the hilltop, above them, were where Mahado's men waited.  
"Bakura's men are getting restless." One of them pointed out.

"Of course they are! Their master is trapped in this cavern! Along with our own master!" Another man said.

"Raise the stone tablet!" One of them ordered and they started to raise the tablet at the edge of the hilltop.

"As soon as Bakura's Diabound appears on the stone, we'll know that the deed is done." One of them said. "Now, we'll fight to protect the peace!"

"LONG LIVE THE PHARAOH!" They all cried as a battle cry and ran down the hill to fight with Bakura's men.

* * *

"You have dishonored the king and threatened the safety of the people. It's time to pay the price." Mahado said to Bakura.

"You've already had your chance. Hand over the Millennium Ring!" Bakura ordered. "If you want to make it home with your soul intact!"

"I'll see to it that you're the one with your soul sealed away!" Mahado said.

Bakura only laughed.

"You couldn't defeat me with all six of your friends at your side, you showoff!" He said.

"I'm now more powerful that you can imagine, Bakura! Long ago, I buried a might force upon these grounds, and now I've gained it back." Mahado said as purple tendrils of power appeared around Mahado.

Bakura became skeptical.

"Generations of royal magicians were trained in this sanctuary. It was here, where I locked away my true power." Mahado explained.

Bakura smirked and raised his Diadiankh, summoning Diabound.

Diabound rose up from behind Bakura. But Diabound looked…different.

"That's not what Diabound looked like before!" Mahado exclaimed.

"As the darkness within me grows, the beast within me evolves." Bakura explained.

"My creature's strength has also grown since we last met." Mahado said and summoned Illusion Magician.

"DIAHA!" They both shouted. ("Diaha!" Is Egyptian for "Duel!")

Bakura ordered Diabound to attack, but Illusion Magician dodged Diabound's attack and ended up behind Diabound.

Mahado ordered Illusion Magician to counterattack.

Doing so, Diabound fell to the ground.

Mahado then added his own power to Illusion Magician's and ordered him to attack again.

Diabound rose through the smoke of the attacks, weakened but not defeated.

"How can a mere spellcaster damage Diabound?" Bakura wondered.

Illusion Magician returned to Mahado's side.

"I refuse to allow Bakura to threaten my people…even if it means depleting my own powers, I will stop him, in the name of the Pharaoh!" Mahado said to himself.

* * *

Yami suddenly sat up in his bed.

"I sense great danger." He said and got out of his canopied bed, walking to onto the balcony in his chambers.

"It's as if one of my priests are in jeopardy." He mummered to himself and paused, seeing that Mahado's tablet shrine was activating.

"Is Mahado engaged in a Shadow Game?"

* * *

Isis sat before the blue flame again, with her eyes close.

She suddenly opened them. "Mahado, no!" She cried.

* * *

Mahado panted with the effort of the battle.

"Donating your own power to your magician is quite foolish." Bakura said, getting to his feet. "You might have made your monster more powerful, but you've left yourself vulnerable."

"You're wrong. My loyal creatures will protect me." Mahado said and summoned another monster, which immediately disappeared into the wall of the cavern.

Bakura ordered his Diabound to attack, but Mahado quickly told his Shadow Ghoul to ambush Diabound.

The Shadow Ghoul leaped from the wall for a slashing attack.

"The virtuous Mahado, fights dirty!" Bakura said as the Shadow Ghoul disappeared back into a wall.

"You're just upset because my monsters have the upper hand." Mahado said and ordered Illusion Magician to attack, hitting Diabound.

After that, Mahado ordered Shadow Ghoul to attack again.

But this time, Diabound avoided the attack by slipping down and hanging from the bridge by it's tail.

"You can't use the same trick twice!" Bakura said to Mahado as Diabound returned to its position behind Bakura, snatching Shadow Ghoul in its fist, destroying it.

Mahado bent over, clutching his chest as his beast was destroyed. But never the less ordered Illusion Magician to attack.

Diabound quickly disappeared.

"It's all over." Mahado said.

Bakura laughed as Diabound appeared from the wall behind Mahado to strike Illusion Magician with its mighty fist.

Illusion Magician was thrown against the opposite wall and Mahado fell to his knees in pain.

"How did you do that?" He asked. "Only my Shadow Ghoul can pass through walls."

"Diabound has the ability to inherit the powers of monsters he defeats in battle." Bakura explained. "I'm not the only one with a knack for stealing things."  
He laughed.

* * *

"Please, let us into Master Mahado's tablet sanctuary!" Mana begged the guards.

Mana had sensed something earlier and woke Cat up, asking her to come with her, hoping that since Cat was a "princess", they would let them through.

"No one can enter until Mahado returns!" One of the guards said and pushed her onto the ground.

Mana sat up. "What are you doing?!" She asked angrily.

"Hey, that was a horrible thing to do! Just let us in!" Cat cried to one of the guards.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but the only people that can enter are Master Mahado and-" They were cut off.

"Let them in."

Cat and Mana looked over their shoulder to find Yami.

The guards fell to their knees and bowed to him.

They entered the tablet sanctuary.  
"Why did you two come here?" Yami asked.

"I had a bad dream that Master Mahado was in trouble and needed help. I could have sworn he was struggling and called my name." Mana said. "I didn't know what else to do, so I thought if I came to his tablet sanctuary, I might be able to help him."

"I had the same dream." Yami said.

The three noticed the stone carving of Mahado's Illusion Magician glowing.

"Mahado must have called it into battle." Cat said.

"Illusion Magician exists in Mahado's soul. If he loses it…Mahado can't exist in this world." Mana said.

Suddenly, the three noticed that Illusion Magician's stone was starting to crack.

They gasped.  
"We have to save him!" Mana cried.

"But how?" Cat asked.

"Mahado!" Yami cried.

* * *

Joey clutched his head, groaning in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Honda asked.

Joey simply pointed to a face drawn on the door and then held up a marker.

"I marked the door so we'd know if we've already been down this path!" He explained.

"Well, it was a good idea." Yugi said.

"If we ever get out of here, you should invest in an art class, Joey." Anzu said. "On the other hand, it could be considered vandalism."

All around them, faces were drawn on doors.

Joey pounded on the nearest door. "We'll never find the right door as long as we keep walking around in circles!" He complained.

Yugi looked at a door across from them. It was an unmarked door!

"We're going to be stuck here for the rest of our lives!" Joey cried.  
"Take it easy!" Anzu snapped as Yugi walked over to the door and stood in front of it, frowning.

"Even the guy in the dress isn't much help!" Joey wailed

"It's a ROBE!" Shadi snapped.

Everyone finally stopped yelling at each other to notice Yugi standing in front of the door.

"Did you find the right door?" Kanya asked.

"I'm not sure." Yugi replied. "But I got a feeling that something's on the other side of this one."

He opened the door and stepped into what appeared to be a large, empty room.

Everyone gathered around him. They all noticed someone standing in the middle of the room.

"Is that the Pharaoh?" Honda asked.

Suddenly a spotlight came on. When the person turned around, it was Bakura!

But then, Bakura's expression changed. It was the spirit of the Millennium Ring! Not their classmate!

Bakura laughed and then cried out and disappeared as a creature formed in his place.

Joey and Honda clutched each other.  
"We should try the next door!" Joey cried.

Flames started to shoot from the creature's mouth, and everyone rushed from the room, followed by the blast of flame that knocked them all down.

Honda sat up first. "Is everyone okay?" He asked.

Yugi quickly jumped back up and ran back to where the room was…but it was gone!

"You have now seen the Pharaoh's enemy in his true form." Shadi said.

Yugi looked horrified. "His true enemy? Bakura?" He asked.

* * *

Illusion Magician was still standing, but Mahado was on his knees, gasping for breath.

"Now that Diabound has picked up a few new tricks, you might as well bid your Illusion Magician farewell." Bakura said. "Once he's gone, he'll be sealed in stone, and you will be sealed in the Shadow Realm."

Bakura grinned evilly and took a step towards Mahado. But once he took that step, he stepped into a trap, which snapped shut around his ankle.

Bakura fell to the ground.

"What have you done?!" Bakura cried.

"The sanctuary is home to several traps, and I've used my magic to conceal them." Mahado explained and stood up, stepping on a stone place, activating another trap.

A huge scythe swung down from the ceiling and towards Bakura.

Bakura managed to roll out of the way before it hit him. But in the process, it hit the trap around his leg, freeing him.

He stood up. "Why thank you." He said.

There were now three scythes slashing across the bridge.

Bakura jumped up to stand on the nearest one, using his weight to swing it towards Mahado, who bearly managed to leap aside in time.

Then, Diabound emerged from the wall behind Mahado, and Illusion Magician flew between it and Mahado, intending to protect Mahado.

Still riding the scythe, Bakura cried out to Diabound.  
"Finish off Illusion Magician with your Helical Shock Wave!"

Diabound did so and Mahado recoiled from the attack, screaming.

* * *

Yami, Cat, Mana, Kay and Kate rode out into the desert on horses.

"Where can he be?" Mana wondered

"We'll find him." Yami said.

"We just need a sign." Kate said and they suddenly stopped when they saw a bolt of blue lightning shoot up from beyond a hill.

"Well…there's our sign!" Kay said.

"What's beyond those hills, Mana?" Cat asked.

"It's the spellcaster's training grounds. By why would Master Mahado have gone there?" Mana answered.

"There's one way to find out." Yami said and everyone rode towards the lightning.


	76. The White Dragon

Mahado and Illusion Magician continued to suffer from Diabound's attack.

Bakura jumped down from the scythe. "It won't be long now." He said.

* * *

Outside the cavern, most of Mahado's men laid dead on the ground. There were only a few left and they were being backed up against the wall by Bakura's men.

When suddenly, Yami, Cat, Mana, Kay and Kate rode up.

Yami picked up a sword from the ground and hit one of Bakura's men with it, causing the man to fall to the ground.

"Where is Mahado?" He asked one of Mahado's men.

"He's battling Bakura." One of Mahado's men replied.

"He needs help!" Mana cried.

"We must send word to the others!" Kate said.

Mana whistled up her hawk and gave it a message to take to the palace.

"It's time to deal with these thugs!" Yami said and rode towards Bakura's men, leaving Mana, Cat, Kay and Kate behind.

Kate frowned as she sat on her horse. "Well, I suppose I should help. I'm one of the guards, right? You three should stay here." She said as she picked up a sword as well and rushed off to help Yami.

"Wow…have you ever had the feeling you were useless?" Cat asked.

"Yup." Kay said with a nod.

* * *

The giant scythes continued to sweep across the bridge, with Bakura and Mahado standing on either side with their monsters beside them.

Mahado was on his knees, exhausted.

"It looks like you could use some rest. How about we make a deal? If you bring me the Millennium Ring, I'll spare you. But if you continue to fight, I will remove your soul from the world, permanently!" Bakura said.

* * *

As Kate and Yami continued to battle Bakura's men, several of the priests headed out from the palace, lead by Seth.

"Why would Mahado do this? He can't beat Bakura alone!" He wondered to himself.

* * *

Isis remained in the palace, with tears streaming down her face.

* * *

Mahado stood up. "I'll never give into you! It must be difficult for someone like you to understand loyalty! But I have taken a vow to protect my king." He said.

"You're a fool." Bakura said.

"I know my Pharaoh would do the same thing for me." Mahado said. "I will now perform the "Ultimate Unification"."

"Ultimate Unification?" Bakura asked.

"I'll sacrifice my own life to fuse with my monster." Mahado said and stepped forward, remembering the time Yami saved him from the snakebite.

"It is time to finally repay my debt!" He announced. "My soul will be the Pharaoh's eternal slave!"

Mahado's Diadiankh broke into pieces.

One of the scythes slashed down towards Mahado.

The Millennium Ring flung away and the bright light of Mahado's soul flew up to Illusion Magician.

* * *

Yami stopped, seeing the blue lightning shooting from the cavern. "What's going on?" He asked.

Nearby, Seth also saw the lightning. "Mahado has been separated from his Item." He said.

* * *

And back in the palace, Isis stood up. "MAHADO!" She cried.

* * *

Bakura caught the Millennium Ring and stopped when he heard Mahado's voice.

He spotted a shadowy figure in purple robes standing beyond the scythes.

"You're traveling down a dangerous path." The figure said.

"It can't be! I've already destroyed Illusion Magician!" Bakura cried.

The figure raised his head and it was Mahado! (Just imagine the Dark Magician with tan skin, brown hair and a little black design under his eyes.)

"I used my remaining power to merge together with my Illusion Magician to defeat you." He explained and aimed his staff at Bakura. "Dark Magic Attack!"

"Diabound! Finish him off with Helical Shock Wave!" Bakura cried.

The attacks met and Diabound's attack was driven back.

In an explosion of white light, Bakura screamed and the scythes crashed into the bridge.  
Smoke enveloped Mahado.

* * *

Outside of the cavern, Yami stopped and turned his horse towards the cavern. "Mahado!" he called out.

Bakura's men turned and rode away and the stone tablet slid down the hill towards Mana.

Yami quickly rode over and snatched her up onto his horse, before the tablet crashed where she was standing.

Yami, Mana, Cat, Kay and Kate jumped down from their horses and stood before the stone tablet which had the image of Mahado combined with Illusion Magician.

"His soul has been trapped in the stone." Mana said. "That means he lost!" She started to weep and she ran to the stone.

"Mahado…why?" Yami asked sadly.

* * *

Yugi stopped.  
"Did you guys feel that? The room just got cold." He said. "It's shaking."

* * *

The sun rose as Seth and the other's arrive to find the five in front of the stone tablet.

Suddenly, Yami heard Mahado's voice.

"I made the ultimate sacrifice, and now I can be your eternal servant." He said.

"Thank you." Yami said.

* * *

Yugi looked up. "It just got warm in here again." He said.

"This labyrinth is a reflection of the Pharaoh's heart. The temperature changes according to his emotions. Listen carefully and you'll locate the Pharaoh." Shadi explained.

"All this time, I thought we needed to knock on the Pharaoh's door, but what we really need to do is wait for the Pharaoh to knock for us!" Yugi realized.

"You must listen with your heart." Shadi said.

"Let's do it!" Joey cried. "I think, if we all concentrate at the same time, we'll be able to hear the Pharaoh!"

The five friends put their hands together.

"Close your eyes and listen." Shadi said.

Suddenly Yugi and everyone else heard the Pharaoh call out to them.

They continued to concentrate and the labyrinth split open, revealing a bright white light.

* * *

Isis rode through the desert to join the other priests, along with Yami, Cat, Mana, Kay and Kate, in front of the cavern.

Mana was on her knees, weeping before the stone tablet.

Isis dismounted. "So it's true." She said.

"Master Mahado! Please come back!" Mana begged and sank back to the ground.

Yami, Cat, Kay and Kate kneeled beside her as Cat and Yami placed their hands on her shoulders.

"Pharaoh, please use your powers to release Mahado from the stone, if you can." Mana begged.

"Mahado's spirit is alive within the stone. In fact, he's even stronger now." Isis said to Mana. "My Millennium Necklace has shown me. He fused himself together with his most trusted creature."

"I'm confused." Mana said, looking up.

"Mahado has been transformed, and will now be known as the Dark Magician." Isis said.

This didn't calm Mana down.  
"But my training isn't complete and I need Master Mahado!" She wailed. "I want to become an elite spellcaster, and I can't do it alone!" She fell back onto the ground.

* * *

Everyone stood at the opening in the Millennium Puzzle, looking out over the ancient Egyptian City below them.

"We've found it! The world of the Pharaoh's memory!" Yugi said.

"You're right. Now my work is done. You must continue on your own. Only those who were called upon by the Pharaoh may enter this realm. The King of Egypt needs your help. Good luck." Shadi said.

Everyone turned back to look at the opening.

"So…how do we get out of here?" Joey asked.

Smiling, Yugi leapt from the opening and fell towards the city.

"I was afraid of that." Joey said and everyone leaped after Yugi, freaking out as they fell.

* * *

Everyone had returned to the palace.

"Due to Mahado's carelessness, Bakura is more dangerous than ever, for now he has the Millennium Ring." Seth said.

"That has yet to be confirmed!" Karim protested. "For all we know, Bakura was buried under rubble when the sacred sanctuary collapsed!"

"Perhaps, but my key still senses Bakura's presence." Shada said.

"Isis, can your Millennium Item see Bakura's future?" Shimon asked.

"It can't." Isis replied.

"I apologize for our failures. I promise we won't disappoint you again, my Pharaoh." Seth said to Yami.

"I too apologize." Isis said.

"Apologies aren't necessary." Shimon said. "What we need are solutions."

"I'll do everything in my power to break through the darkness that conceals Bakura from my vision." Isis said.

"That's all we can ask for." Yami said.

"Time is of the essence." Seth said. "Pharaoh, allow me to lead the hunt for Bakura. I already have a plan in place."

"All gateways to and from this kingdom must be sealed to keep Bakura in, and every citizen must be carefully observed, since no one can be trusts." Seth continued, causing Aknadin to gasp.

"Seth's right. Until we have more information, everyone's a suspect." Shimon said.

"Alright. Proceed, Seth." Yami said reluctantly.

* * *

Yugi, Joey, Honda, Kanya and Anzu landed in the marketplace in the ancient Egyptian City.

"Did we just travel through some kind of time warp?" Joey asked.

"We stand out like sore thumbs." Honda said.

"You're right. But for some reason, everyone's ignoring us." Kanya said.

Joey grinned and stepped up.  
"Hiya everyone! Jonouchi Katsuya here!" He announced his presence, but no one paid attention. He drooped a little before seeing a woman and he stepped up to her.

"Hi there, miss!" He said with a stupid grin and the woman…walked…right…through…him.

Joey freaked out and fell onto his butt. "SHE'S A GHOST!" He screamed.

Yugi looked down on himself. "The Millennium Puzzle's gone." He said. "If we're in the world of the Pharaoh's memories, its no wonder people don't see us! We didn't exist three thousand years ago! So we're not really part of this place."

"Does that mean, that when we find the Pharaoh, he won't be able to see us either?" Anzu wondered.

"I don't know, but there's only one way to find out. We have to go and see him." Yugi said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Seth and Shada are being carried through the streets. Kay decided to come along with Seth.

Citizens bowed at the sides of the streets.

"Do you believe Bakura still walks among us?" Shada asked.

"Of course." Seth said. "Bakura controls a monster with powers equal to an Egyptian god. Mahado was a fool to face him, ad that's why his spirit is now sealed."

"What' should we do?" Shada asked.

"We should strengthen our own army of shadow creatures and take Bakura down. We'll do this by extracting the beasts of darkness from the souls of the Egyptian people." Seth said.

Shada and Kay were shocked.  
"Are you suggesting that we punish the innocent?" Shada asked. "What would the Pharaoh say about that?"

"I'm doing this to protect the Pharaoh and the citizens of Egypt." Seth said.

"I still don't like it." Shada said.

Seth ordered the guards to stop and he jumped down from his chair. "I'm not targeting the innocent, but seeking out the souls of potential criminals." He said.

Seth then turned to the guards. "Scour the kingdom and bring me any villager your find suspicious!" He ordered.

Kay stared at Seth.  
"Man…for being Kaiba's ancient self…he sure is a lot different. And at the same time…he isn't." She said to herself.

* * *

Bakura emerged from a river, gasping.

"One down…five priests to go." He gasped. "And then the seven Items will be mine."  
He stepped out of the river, laughing.

* * *

It wasn't long until the guards brought a man before Seth, forcing him to his knees.  
The man cried out for mercy.

"There's been a mistake! I swear I'm innocent!" The man cried.

"There's only one way to find out." Seth said. "You will be judged by the Millennium Items."

More guards came and threw a man before Seth. "We overheard him disrespecting the Pharaoh!" One of the guards said.

"Shada, look into this man's spirit." Seth said.

Kay watched.

"You know, personally, I would just punch the guy for insulting my friend." She mummered.

Shada held up the Millennium Key. "Show me what lies in this man's heart." He asked the Item.

A clownish monster appeared. (It's Saggi the Dark Clown, by the way.)

"I sense an evil spark beginning to grow. The man appears harmless now, but the man shows potential for greater evil." Shada said.

"The vagrant is useless to me. Lock him up!" Seth said.

"You're making a mistake!" The man cried. "Why waste your time on the likes of me, when there's a much more serious threat among us?"

"We're aware of Bakura, and we've already taken actions to stop him." Seth said.

"I'm referring to the White Dragon!" The man said.

Seth turned to the man, surprised. "The White Dragon?" He asked, suddenly remembering a White Dragon attacking a village. "It can't be."

"It's true! The White Dragon stalks our town!" The man said.

"I've heard enough! Take that man away!" Seth said.

The guards obeyed as the man shouted protests at Seth.

Kay gripped the sides of her chair until her knuckles were white.

"The White Dragon? That man couldn't mean…The Blue-Eyes White Dragon…could he?" She wondered.

* * *

Yugi and everyone ran through the streets when Joey suddenly stops, falling wearily to his knees. "Can we take five?" He asked. "I can't run on an empty stomach."

"We're here to help the Pharaoh! Not to eat!" Anzu said disgustingly.

"I want a hot dog!" Joey whined.

Honda sunk to his knees too. "Did you say hot dog?" He asked.

"Guys…hot dogs don't exist here." Kanya reminded them.

"You won't be able to touch the food, let alone, eat it." Yugi added in.

"SAY IT AIN'T SO!" Joey and Honda cried.

But they stopped when they spotted a big, round man standing in front of one of the vendor's stalls, busily stuffing his mouth with the vendor's fruit.

"Something's not right. That guy's devouring everything in sight! And no one's saying a thing!" Joey said.

"HEY! YOU!" Joey and Honda yelled at the man.

The man turned to them, surprised.

"Do you have something for us?" Joey and Honda asked, with drooling mouth.

The man jumped in surprise. "Help! I'm being attacked by hungry ghosts!" He cried and turned, running away with Joey and Honda on his heels.

As they ran, Joey realized something.

"He can see us!" He cried.

The man stuffed the remaining handful of fruit in his mouth, then doubles back as Joey and Honda leap towards him.

As the round man ran past Yugi, Kanya and Anzu, Anzu stretched out a foot and tripped him.

The man bounced through a crowd and Joey and Honda dove after him.

They missed.

The two boys hit the ground, landing in the middle of an angry crowd, gathered around a girl lying on the ground.

"Bobasa goes bye-bye!" The round man cried and ran into the crowd as Joey and Honda leapt across the girl, who was being threatened by the mob.

Joey and Honda turned to face the crowd, ready to fight and protect the girl while Yugi, Kanya and Anzu ran to her.

"Are you okay?" Kanya asked.

"She can't hear us!" Joey said.

"I just remembered, none of these people can see us, or hear us!" Honda said.

"No wonder the stones the mob is throwing don't hurt." Joey said.

"Think! We have to do something!" Honda said.

Just then Seth showed up.

"What's going on?" He demanded.

Yugi and everyone gasped in surprise. "It's Kaiba!" Yugi exclaimed.

Shada stepped forward with his Millennium Key, but reacts in shock. "The power within her is too strong!" He cried and screamed, falling to his knees. "I've never felt such a powerful spirit before!"

"Really?" Seth asked and looked back at the girl. "There's something familiar about her.

Kay, who was behind Shada and Seth, saw the girl, but didn't notice Yugi and the others.

"She seems familiar in a way too." She said quietly to herself.

"Guards! Bring the girl with us! Give her all the food and water she desires!" Seth ordered as the guards went to her, picking her up.

Seth turned to the mob. "Everyone, leave at once, or I'll put you all in shackles!" He yelled.

Everyone left, immediately.

"Way to go, fake Kaiba!" Joey said.

"Hey Yugi…look!" Anzu said, pointing at the Millennium Rod.

"I know…Kaiba has the Millenium Rod…and the other guy has the Key." Yugi said with a nod.

"It makes sense. Kaiba was carved on that ancient tablet. He must work for the Pharaoh."

"Don't say a word of this to the Pharaoh. We needn't concern him until they have a full understanding of what's going on." Seth said to the guards.

The guards nodded.

"Now…let us return to the palace!" Seth said as everyone headed to the palace.

"Hey! They could be our ticket to see the Pharaoh!" Honda cried and they ran after the guards.

As Seth, Shada and the guards with the girl entered the gates, the gang stopped to stare at the size of the palace.

"Speed things up, guys!" Anzu said as the gates began to close…but they didn't react in time as the gate closed them out.

"Now what will we do?" Kanya asked.

Joey laughed. "Remember? We can walk through everything!" He said and ran towards the gate…crashing into it and falling to the ground. He sat up. "I DON'T GET IT! Are we invisible or not!" He complained.

Honda and Yugi walked up to the gate and touched it, also finding it solid.

"It's time for one of our famous Plan B's." Honda said.

"OH MY GOSH! Guys?!"

The gang turned around to find Kay!

"K-Kay! Is that you?" Yugi asked.

Kay nodded. "Oh man, am I glad to see you guys! How did you get here?" She asked.

"We came through Yugi's Millennium Puzzle." Kanya said.

"That makes sense." Kay said. "It feels like it's been forever. It's been at least two days since we woke up here."

"Is Cat and Kate here as well?" Yugi asked.

Kay nodded again. "Yeah…but no one except for the Pharaoh calls us by our real names. Everyone here thinks I'm a priestess named "Khephera". And get this…I'm engaged to ancient Kaiba! Or should I say, "priest Seth"." She said.

Everyone's eyes grew and they blinked.  
"Well…that's interesting." Anzu said.

"Yeah, I know." Kay said.

"So, what do they call Kate?" Yugi asked.

"They call her Ankh. She's apparently related to the Pharaoh and she's a part of the leading guards." Kay explained. "Not to mention, when I first saw her here, she looks Egyptian. Me and Cat still have pale skin. But Kate looks like she's just come back from days worth of sun tanning."

"Whoa…you think you know a person." Joey said.

"Yup." Kay said.

"Okay…what do they call Cat? Is she who I think she is?" Yugi asked.

"Correct. Everyone here calls her Luna. She's the runaway Princess from the Celestial Kingdom and she's engaged to the Pharaoh." Kay said.

Anzu's eyebrow twitched.

"Are…they going along with is?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"Well…they're trying to keep it light as they can, but yeah. They are going along with it." Kay answered then giggled. "Even though I know they really do love each other."

Anzu twitched angrily again.

"And you know what else? Here's the strange thing. You know how on Cat's cartouche, it has her name on the front, right?" Kay said. "Well, when me, Yami, and Kate look at it, it still says "Cat". But when other's look at it, they say it says, "Luna". Pretty crazy huh?"

"Yeah." Kanya agreed.

"Well…the important thing right now is that we need to get into the palace." Yugi said.

"Ah…you've got a point!" Kay said and paused. "There's no guards around right now…so I can't get in either." She slumped.

"Perhaps I can help." A voice behind them said.

Everyone turned to find the big round man again, Bobasa, sitting on one of the stone statues, lining the road.

"Hello! You gave me a scare! I'm not used to people seeing me." He greeted. "You also protected that girl, so I know you're good people."

He hopped down from the statue and hopped over to them, like a huge beach ball. He then held out an armful of fruits and vegetables. "Would you like a snack?" he asked.

Joey and Honda eagerly grabbed the food.

"If you're invisible like us, why can you touch things?" Anzu asked Bobasa.

"It's a mystery to Bobasa too." Bobasa answered and snatched back a handful of food from Joey and Honda, gulping it down.

"Bobasa, right? Why can't we get into the city?" Yugi asked.

Joey and Honda looked worriedly down at their food after Bobasa took some.

"I don't know." Bobasa said and grabbed more food from them, eating it.

"Where are you from?" Anzu asked.

"Stop asking him questions!" Joey and Honda snapped.

"When I get nervous, I get hungry." Bobasa said.

"Stop making Bobasa nervous!" Joey and Honda snapped at Anzu.

"I'm trying to get us into the Palace!" Anzu snapped back.

Joey and Honda clutched onto their food. "Well QUIT it!" They snapped.

"I'm just trying to help!" She protested.

"What are we going to do?" Bobasa wondered.

Yugi turned away from his bickering friends with a sigh and walked up to the gate with one hand pressed to the stone wall. He looked up sadly at the gate.  
"I know the Pharaoh is in there…and I'm going to figure out a way to help." He said.

* * *

Yami, who was standing on his balcony, looked up in surprise. "Someone is calling out to me." He said.

* * *

Night fell and the Pharaoh's guards patrolled the gate.

Bakura hid nearby, behind a stone column.

"The time has come." He said to himself. "On to phase two. The Shadow Game has taken an interesting twist, as the past and the future have begun to converge. Take the Egyptian gods…the Pharaoh can only control them, thanks to his knowledge of the future. But I have a power he doesn't."

Bakura stood up and walked towards the gate, turning invisible as he walked.

"Thanks to the Millennium Ring, I can enter the Palace undetected." He said to himself with a grin.

* * *

Seth approached Aknadin, who was standing at the top of the inner pyramid.

"Our mission was a success. We searched the land for Shadow creatures, and our findings were greater than I could have ever expected." Seth said.

"Release the innocent people, immediately!" Aknadin demanded.

Seth started to protest.

"You must do what I say! You are headed down a dangerous path! You are a Priest, and you must act like one! Free those people at once, for you have disgraced the name of the Pharaoh!"

"No. I did this to protect the Pharaoh. It's the only way we can defeat Bakura." Seth said.

"Even so! What you've done-!" Aknadin couldn't finish.

Seth turned around and started to leave. "Farewell." He said. "There's work to be done."

"SETH! YOU'RE MAKING A MISTAKE!" Aknadin called after him, but Seth was already gone.

Aknadin sunk to his knees. "I should know…long ago, I made the same mistake myself." He said.

Suddenly, the Millennium Ring appeared and Aknadin jumped up. "Who's there?!" He cried.

Bakura stood at the foot of the stairs, wearing the Ring and laughing.

* * *

Seth entered the room where the girl was being kept.

"Is she awake?" He asked the guards.

"Not yet." One of them replied.

Seth stood over the bed where she slept.

"Her face is so familiar to me. Is this the girl I saw that day, long ago? The girl with the blue eyes and white hair." He wondered to himself.

* * *

_A young Seth rode on horseback through the desert. He came across a band of marauders, holding someone prisoner in a cage on a cart._

_"That prisoner has been nothing but trouble! We should have run her out of town like the rest of them!" One of the marauders said._

_"But we're lucky! Blue eyes and White hair, such a rarity in this country." Another one said._

_Seth snuck up to the cart and unlocked the cage.  
"Who are you?" The girl asked._

_"Shh…I'm here to help." Seth whispered and helped the girl out of the cage and started to escape with her._

_But one of the marauders spotted them and started to chase them until they were able to outrun them on Seth's horse._

_Once they weren't being chased anymore, Seth jumped off the horse. "Take this horse to the next town. They'll help you." He said and slapped the horse, causing it to run._

_"What's your name?" The girl called._

_"My name is Seth!" He called to her._

_"I'll repay you someday, Seth!" She called back as the horse rode away._

_Seth then turned to his village and noticed that it was in flames in the valley below!_

_"It must have been those scoundrels!" He cried and ran to the village, screaming at the marauders to get out._

_One of the marauders held a torch. "This land is ours!" He cried. "And we're taking it back!"_

_The marauder grabbed a random villager. "Where is the blue-eyed one?!" He demanded._

_"I-I don't know!" The villager cried._

_Seth ran up._

_"Hey! That's the kid who freed our prisoner!" The marauder cried and let go of the villager as him and his group surrounded Seth._

_Seth tried to escape, but they held onto him while he helplessly watched his village burn._

_Suddenly, a huge white dragon rose over the village, roaring._

_The frightened marauders ran away, but the dragon attacked and blasted them with White lightening._

_Seth watched in awe as the dragon loomed over the burning village._

* * *

"It's her. She has returned." Seth said, standing over the sleeping girl.


	77. The Dark Secret of the Millennium Items

Bakura had Aknadin on the floor, one foot on his chest. "We meet again." Bakura said. "Only this time, you're alone. But I'm not."

A shockwave of power ran through the sanctuary as Diabound formed behind Bakura, more powerful and terrible than ever.

"I could seize the Millennium Eye in an instant." Bakura said, leaning over Aknadin. "But I have something more amusing in mind. We still have a score to settle. Remember the incident in the village of Kul Elna a few years ago? You crushed my people and abandoned your son! A young boy named Seth!"

Bakura put his foot on Aknadin's throat and Aknadin clutched Bakura's foot, moaning in horror.

Bakura laughed.

"Release me at once!" Aknadin cried.

"You're in no position to be making demands." Bakura said.

"You won't get away with this!" Aknadin said.

"I've already destroyed one of your cohorts, and I have the Millennium Ring to prove it." Bakura said.

"So it's true!" Aknadin cried.

"It's painful to lose someone you care about, isn't it?" Bakura taunted. "You should try losing your whole village."

Bakura stepped off Aknadin and grabbed him by the robes, hauling him up.

"You destroyed my homeland, took away my family and left me with nothing!" Bakura said and held up the Millennium Ring. "It's time to pay the price, by serving me. I know you have a dark side, it just needs to be brought out."

Bakura reached for Aknadin's face and Aknadin screamed.

* * *

Yami gasped and held up the Millennium Puzzle. "It senses a dark presence." He said as he stood on the balcony of the palace.

Shimon ran out onto the balcony.

"Pharaoh! The village along the Nile has just been attacked!" He cried.

Just then, they heard an explosion and saw smoke rising.

It was Aknadin's sanctuary.

* * *

Seth, who was standing by the girl's bed, looked up.

* * *

"There's only one person capable of an act of treason like this." Shimon said.

Yami nodded. "Bakura." He said.

Bakura ran along a stone walkway, high above the guards.

Yami ordered the guards to go after Bakura.

The guards ran off to search the courtyard and Bakura leapt down from the roof of the palace, unseen.

Aknadin lied within his ruined sanctuary with Seth, Shada, and Karim, gathered around him.

"He…must be stopped." Aknadin groaned.

Seth held Aknadin's head up. "Who did this?" He asked.

"Pure…evil." Aknadin answered before passing out.

"Aknadin will be fine. He's just been under incredible strain." Shada said.

Seth lowered Aknadin gently to the ground.  
"We can't let that rogue continue to get away with these despicable acts!" He said and stood up. "We must take Bakura down, once and for all!"

Bakura rode away on a stolen horse with the Pharaoh's guards following him.

Five guards blocked Bakura's path, but they were swept away before Bakura even reached them! Diabound appeared over Bakura's head.

Then, Yami rode after Bakura on a white horse.

Bakura looked back. "The mighty Pharaoh has taken my bait!" He said.

Yami then called upon Slifer the Sky Dragon!

Slifer emerged from the tablet sanctuary and flew above him.

"The ultimate battle for the future of mankind will begin once again! Only this time, I'll prevail!" Bakura laughed.

"Bakura! Stop running like a coward and face up to what you have done!" Yami yelled at Bakura.

* * *

Outside the city gates, Yugi and the others, along with Kay, were sitting against the wall, asleep. When suddenly the gates blasted open!

They jumped up to see Yami ride out after Bakura with Slifer following him.

"It's the Pharaoh!" Yugi cried.

"And that is a big red dragon!" Bobasa added in.

"This sort of thing used to surprise me…but now, not so much." Joey said. "But that was defiantly the Pharaoh, even though he was dressed strangely."

"Did anyone get a good look at who the Pharaoh was chasing?" Honda asked.

"Bakura, no doubt." Kay said.

"We've got to help!" Yugi said.

Everyone except Kay ran after the Pharaoh.

Kay ran back to the palace to warn Seth, Cat, Kate and the others.

* * *

Inside the palace, Aknadin laid in bed, bandaged wrapped over his Millennium Eye.

In a vision, Bakura appeared next to him, laughing.  
"I know all your secrets." He said. "I know what you did at Kul Elna. These events may have occurred fifteen years ago, but time doesn't heal all wounds."

* * *

_A guard kneeled before the previous Pharaoh, Aknamkanon._

_"We've lost our stronghold to the north, and the enemy continues to march towards the capital." The guard reported._

_"How long can we withstand the attack?" Aknamkanon asked._

_"If all goes well, perhaps a week." The guard replied._

_"The end has come." Aknamkanon said grimly._

_"You can't give up!" One of the Pharaoh's councilors said. "This conflict will not just decide the fate of our country, but the entire world. If the enemy advances much further, they might seize the Millennium Spellbook."_

_"The enemy must not succeed." Aknamkanon said. "It is said whoever deciphers the book's ancient text will be able to control a power known only to the gods."_

_A councilor, which is a younger Aknadin, agreed. "Maybe we can tap that power to defeat the enemy." He suggested._

_"We've been through this before, and no one has been able to decode those spells." Aknamkanon said impatiently._

_"That's not true. We've had a breakthrough. We have decoded the whole book, but I have managed to decipher one of it's spells; a ritual allowing the spellcaster to forge seven Millennium Items, which could eliminate the invaders and bring tranquillity to Egypt" Aknadin said._

_"How long will it take to create them?" Aknamkanon asked._

_"It will take seven days. Fortunately, I've already begun experimenting with the Shadow magic necessary to fashion the items." Aknadin replied._

_"If it will bring peace, you may proceed." Aknamkanon said and called Aknadin, "brother". "Make our father proud."_

* * *

_Outside the palace, Aknadin sat on horseback, outside the palace, looking at his wife and son._

_"In order to save our kingdom, I must do the unthinkable. If my actions are discovered, people may seek revenge. So for your own protection, no one must ever know that I have a family. You must run as far from here as you can. I wishes there was another solution." Aknadin said._

_"I wish there was too." His wife said._

_"Our son, Seth must never learn the truth about who his father is." Aknadin said and with that, rode away._

* * *

_Later, Aknadin stood before a group of soldiers._

_"You are the Pharaoh's strongest soldiers! So you'll obey me only! You've been chosen to take part in an experiment to save the land of Egypt! Our mission begins tonight in a small village on the outskirts of the kingdom! To Kul Elna!" He announced._

_As Aknadin and his men rode out into the night, he though to himself that his brother (The Pharaoh) must never learn of the events that were about to follow. According to the book of spells, evil spirits must be captured in order to create the seven Millennium Items. My brother would never approve._

_Aknadin and his men paused on a ridge overlooking Kul Elna._

_"It's an evil village. Its inhabitants possess the darkest spirits known! That's why they've been raiding the royal tombs and stealing their riches for years! But tonight, we'll put an end to Kul Elna's evil ways!" He said. "Capture those spirits!"_

_And with that, they rode to the village, rounding up the villagers and herding them into an underground cavern._

_Little Bakura hide behind a doorway, watching in horror._

_Aknadin recited the spells as a cauldron of molten gold is poured into a stone mold._

_"The treasures won't be forged of gold, but from the darkness that lies within the hearts of men." He said._

_Later, the mold in broken with mallets and his men retrieved the Millennium Items._

_But then, the cavern began to rumble and the floor split open._

_The man, holding the Millennium Ring, fell into the chasm while the others are thrown to the ground._

_Aknadin watched as a stone tablet rose from the chasm._

_"Have we angered the gods?" One of the men wondered._

_The stone tablet contained impressions into which the seven Millennium Items fit._

_The Ring rose from the tablet and Aknadin's men were thrown against the wall._

_"What have I unleashed?" He asked._

_Then…the shadowy form of a huge monster rose from the chasm and grabbed Aknadin in it's clawed hand, lifting him from the ground._

_"What do you want?" Aknadin asked, terrified._

_"Return those treasures to their resting place." The creature told him._

_Aknadin held the Millennium Eye in his hand. "These items belong to us!" He said and reached up, placing the Eye in his own face._

_"Unhand me!" He cried and the creature dropped him to the ground as the others ran up to him._

_"We must get out of here at once!" One of them said._

_Aknadin grabbed the Millennium Ring and ran out with his men as the shadow creature disappeared._

_Aknadin and another man wondered through the desert, and one of them fell, unable to go on._

_"Come, you can make it." Aknadin encouraged the man._

_"No…You must take the Millennium Items to the Pharaoh. Besides…the fewer people who know about it, the better." He said._

_Aknadin continued through the desert alone, carrying the sack of Millennium Items over his shoulder._

_After a while, he collapsed, exhausted. Until he looked up and saw the city below the ridge._

_"I made it." He said weakly and struggled to his feet, continuing to the city._

_Later, the invaders gathered on the same ridge, preparing to attack the city._

_"It seems the King of Egypt has given up!" One of them said and they laughed._

_"The city has been abandoned!"_

_They attacked, led by men on horseback. But they stopped when they saw seven men standing before the city gates._

_"An army of seven will be no threat!" The leader of the invaders said. "Show no mercy!"_

_Aknamkanon, standing in the center of the seven defenders, activated the Millennium Items, in the name of Egypt._

_He called upon the might spirits to protect the kingdom from destruction._

_Seven creatures appeared over the city walls and the invaders were repelled._

* * *

(Ugh…longest…flashback…EVER! X.X)

"I'll never forget that day. It was both my greatest achievement…and my darkest hour." Aknadin whispered to himself, lying in the bed. "My efforts had saved Egypt from destruction, but I deserted my family to do so, and my only Son, Seth, would never know of his noble ancestry."

* * *

_"Welcome Priest Seth…new Priest of the Millennium Rod. Though raised by peasants, he has risen to excellence, passing his tests with the highest scores ever seen." Shimon announced._

_Seth kneeled before the throne where Aknamkanon sat, with a young Yami at his side._

_"Welcome Seth, to my sacred court." He said._

_"Thank you, my Pharaoh. It is a great honor. I promise to serve you well." Seth said._

_Aknadin watched as Aknamkanon told Seth, that as the youngest royal priest, he would sit at the right hand of his son._

_"Aknadin, you've been unusually quiet." Shimon said to Aknadin._

* * *

I was shocked. There, kneeling before the Pharaoh, was my own son. The boy I abandoned and stripped of his heritage. He had overcome every obstacle and risen to greatness, all on his own merit. At that moment…I decided…that Seth should be Pharaoh.

Aknadin sat up in his bed and grimaced. "My son deserves to be king! And king he shall become!"

* * *

Seth rode out of the city with Kay with him and Cat and Kate following along, on horseback.

Far ahead, Yami continued to chase Bakura while Slifer pursued Diabound.

"It's time to show off Diabound's newest ability!" Bakura said. "Diabound! Use Illusionary Shockwave and attack Slifer!"

Yami grimaced in pain as the attack hit Slifer.

"Diabound steals the abilities of the enemies it defeats! That attack came courtesy of Mahado!" Bakura laughed.

"Slifer! Use your Lightening Blast!" Yami ordered and watched as it hit Diabound.

But then he noticed an attack coming up behind him.

"You're not in the clear just yet!" Bakura said.

Diabound appeared beside Yami and attacked, but, Slifer jumped between Diabound and Yami, counterattacking.

Diabound was then, thrown back into the sky as Bakura clutched his chest in pain.

"You'll pay for that Pharaoh!" He yelled.

"You've forgotten who you're dealing with!" Yami called.

"You've forgotten that this battle isn't one of your little card tournaments! In this arena, I have the advantage!" Bakura called back.

Bakura then ordered Diabound to destroy the city.

Diabound attacked and started to blast buildings and sweep citizens away.

Bakura laughed as he rode through the destruction.

"STOP!" Yami shouted. "The fight is between you and me!"

"It's time to decide! Continue to fight me? Or save your people?" Bakura yelled.

Diabound descended on two children, standing helplessly on the street.

But before Diabound's attack reached them, Slifer intervenes, saving them.

They kids ran away as Slifer continued to absorb Diabound's attacks.

Yami ordered Slifer to protect the villagers.

"But I wonder how much abuse Slifer can endure. I guess we'll have to see." Bakura said to himself.

The villagers ran as Bakura stopped atop a building at the end of an alley and Yami rode up below.

"It looks like a dead end! So much for saving your villagers!" Bakura said.

"No harm shall befall the people of my kingdom!" Yami insisted as Slifer attacked Diabound, who counterattacked.

The two blasts of energy met in a huge fireball.

* * *

Yugi and the others paused as they watched the fight between the two monsters.  
"Those are DEFINITELY not holograms!" Honda said.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed.

* * *

Slifer grabbed Diabound's serpent tail in its teeth and carried it up into the sky.

"I refuse to let you put the people in any more danger!" Yami said and ordered Slifer to take the fight into the skies. "My people are safe."

"Slifer may control the skies, but Diabound commands the darkness." Bakura said. "Making him infinitely more powerful."

Diabound suddenly disappeared. "My creature has the ability to move in Shadow. By the time it reveals itself, it will be too late." Bakura explained.

Just then, an attack blasted out of nowhere, hitting Slifer.

"How should I conclude this battle? Should I destroy Slifer? Or this city?" Bakura wondered. "Or perhaps I'll have Diabound crush the Pharaoh! There's a simpler way for the Pharaoh to save his city! Surrender the Millennium Puzzle to me, and I'll leave you and your villagers alone."

"If I hand over the Millennium Puzzle, Bakura will become unstoppable. But I can't let him just harm my people." Yami said to himself, taking the Puzzle from around his neck and held it out.

"If I can just distract Bakura for long enough…I might be able to defeat him. It's my only hope."

"Pharaoh! Get off your horse and kneel before me!" Bakura said and laughed.

"SLIFER! NOW!" Yami yelled.

Slifer flew towards Bakura, jaws open.

"Call off Diabound, and I'll call off my monster." Yami said.

"No. Two can play at this game." Bakura said.

Slifer remained with its teeth about to snap over Bakura's head.

But Diabound was behind the Pharaoh, with its claws poised to crush him.

"It looks like a draw." Bakura said. "But looks can be deceiving. Diabound! Destroy the Pharaoh!"

But before Diabound attacked, another monster leaped in, defending Yami from Diabound.

"That's…Seth's creature!" Yami exclaimed and looked over his shoulder to see Seth, some of the other priests, and Cat, Kay and Kate, riding towards him.

"We'll save you, my Pharaoh!" Seth shouted.

Seth and the others rode up to Yami.

"Are you alright?" Karim asked.

Bakura rode away, outnumbered, Diabound following him.

"YOU COWARD!" Seth called after him.

"Don't be fooled. Bakura might be trying to lead us into a trap." Yami said.

Seth then ordered his captain to have his men follow Bakura and then some other men to evacuate all citizens to the palace courtyard.

As the city burned, people ran to the palace.

Yugi and the others were running in the other direction, searching for Yami.

They stopped and looked around.  
"There's no sign of the Pharaoh anywhere!" Joey said.

"He can't be too far." Honda said.

"Look!" Yugi cried and pointed to the sky where Slifer could be seen.

"Duos! Find Bakura!" Seth ordered his monster.

Karim summoned his monster, Helimai, to join Duos.

"Be careful. Diabound could be near. It hides by night." Yami said.

Then, suddenly, an attack blasted out of the clouds, destroying Karim's monster.

Karim hunched forward, gasping.

"If we're to defeat Bakura, we must stand tall!" Seth said.

"I'll be fine." Karim said. "But there's no telling where the creature lurks…or where it will strike next.

Yami urged his horse into a gallop and rode away with a grim expression.

"PHARAOH!" Seth called.  
"We'd better follow!" Kate said.

Everyone nodded and followed Yami.

"Bakura has already become more powerful than I imagined. He must be stopped before he gains another Millennium Item." Yami said to himself.

Bakura stopped his horse on a ridge, overlooking the city, and watched as Slifer flew overhead.

"Who knew that the Pharaoh could be led astray so easily?" He asked himself.

Yami ordered Slifer to seek and destroy as he rode towards Bakura.

He then stopped his horse below the ridge as Slifer flew up.

"Bakura! We should finish this now!" He called.

* * *

Aknadin stood in the Yami's tablet sanctuary, staring at the three stone tablets of the Egyptian god monsters.

"The time has come." He said. "Farewell, Pharaoh."

* * *

Seth and everyone else rode up behind Yami.

"How can we defend ourselves against an enemy we can't see?" Kay asked.

"Our Pharaoh controls the Egyptian gods, the most powerful beings in this realm." Seth said.

Bakura then ordered Diabound to attack with Helical Shock Wave, and Yami told Slifer to counter with Thunder force Strike.

* * *

But as these attacks were starting, Aknadin threw a sword at Slifer's stone tablet, stabbing the stone.

* * *

Slifer reared back and Diabound hit Slifer with full force…destroying Slifer.

Yami reeled from Slifer's destruction.

* * *

The sword fell from the stone tablet and a blast of energy hit Aknadin, who staggered, before falling to the ground. Shada ran to him.

* * *

Yami clutched his chest painfully. "Seth…it's…up to you." He said.

Seth then ordered Duos to attack with its Aura Sword.

The monster threw its sword into the swirl of light, from which Diabound's attack came.

It was a direct hit.

But Bakura only laughed. "Do you really think you've destroyed Diabound?" He asked.

The monster that was struck by Duo's sword appeared…and it wasn't Diabound.

Yami's vision was starting to blur. "We must fight on…I can't…give up now." Yami gasped, but lost consciousness and slide from his horse.

"Yami-kun!" Cat cried and ran over to him.


	78. A Lost King

When Yami opened his eyes, he found himself being held up by Yugi.

Joey, Cat, Kay, Kate, Honda, Kanya and Anzu were gathered around him.

"Yugi? Is that really you?" Yami asked.

"You can see us!" Yugi exclaimed happily.

"Hey, pal. You alright?" Joey asked.

On the ridge above, Bakura watched on, surprised.

"How could those five brats be here? Not to mention the three girls that were dragged into this world of memory with the Pharaoh!" He growled.

Yugi took Yami's hand. "We're a team!" He said.

Yami suddenly felt his energy returning.

He had forgotten how strong his bond with Yugi was.

Yami then jumped up and leaped back onto his horse.

"Bakura! Your reign of terror is over!" He cried and held up his Diadiankh, calling forth, the Winged Dragon of Ra.

Clouds rushed across the sky and suddenly, a bright light shined through them, lighting up Diabound and making it visible.

"It can't be! How can he summon a beast so powerful?" Bakura cried.

Then, a huge golden dragon appeared in the sky.

"It the Egyptian sun god! The might Winged Dragon of Ra!" Seth cried.

Ra faced off with Diabound.

"It doesn't make any sense! When I destroyed Slifer, the Pharaoh was rendered powerless! So where did he find the strength to call upon yet another Egyptian god?" He asked himself before spotting Yami's friends standing beside him. "Reuniting with his former host restored the Pharaoh's life force."

"Once again, you and I will save mankind together." Yami said.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way!" Yugi said.

At the palace, Shimon and Isis stood on the balcony, watching the light shining from the sky.

"Only the gods of Egypt can cause the sun to illuminate in the dead of the night." Shimon said.

Diabound recoiled from the light.

"Without darkness, Diabound has no way to conceal itself." Karim said.

"But now Diabound has the power of an Egyptian god! Diabound! Attack with Slifer's Thunder force Strike!" Bakura cried.

Duo's used its sword to shield Ra.

Then Yami ordered Ra to transform into its Phoenix form.

The burning dragon then attacked Diabound.

Bakura burst into flames as his monster was destroyed.

"The darkness is no more." Seth said.  
"I hope you're right." Cat said.

Bakura's horse reared and Bakura fell to the ground, smoke rising from his body.

Diabound descended to earth in flames, as the guard in the city watched.

Everyone began to cheer and Bobasa finally joined the gang.

"If it wasn't for Yugi's bravery, Bakura would have won." Yami said to himself and turned to Yugi, smiling. "Friendship conquers all."

"Hey Pharaoh! You won, right?" Joey asked.

Yami nodded. "Egypt is safe now. But it wouldn't have been possible without you all." He said.

"You did all the work." Yugi laughed.

"No, you gave me the strength I needed to fight." Yami said and held his hand out. "We're a team."

Yugi, Cat, Kay, Joey, Kate, Honda, Anzu and Kanya all put their hands on his.

"Even two continents and three thousand years couldn't keep us apart!" Anzu said.

Bobasa smiled. "I love a happy ending." He said.

Bakura continued to lie on the ground, covered in soot. "I won't…let it end like this. Sands of time! Reverse yourselves, so that I can alter the past!" He said.

All of the sudden, a great whirlwind rose in the desert.

"We must leave now, Pharaoh!" Seth said.

Suddenly Ra appeared in its Phoenix form, the Diabound.

"This can't be! Is time flowing backward?" Yami cried.

Everyone held onto each other as the strong wind reversed time and the battle went in reverse until the clouds opened up and the darkness returned.

Yugi, Joey, Honda, Kanya and Anzu were then blown away by the winds.

"YUGI!" Yami called. "DON'T GO!"

But the five friends were blown away.

Suddenly a chasm opened at Yami's feet as Duos' Aura Sword popped back into his hand a Slifer reappeared.

But then time turned back to normal and Slifer was destroyed again.

Yami then suffered the attack again as Bakura laughed and everyone called out to Yami.

* * *

Yugi and the others ran through the burning city, trying to find Yami.

"Is it just me, or did we do this already?" Joey asked.

"I'm having some major déjà vu!" Honda said.

* * *

Yami, now weakened, rode up the ridge towards Bakura. "What have you done?!" He asked.

Yugi and the others ran up the other side of the ridge, calling to Yami.

"I've bought back some time." Bakura answered and ordered Diabound to attack again.

This time, Diabound's attack smashed the ground in front of Yami, causing the ridge to collapse under him. Everyone watched in horror as Yami and his horse plunged into the chasm.

But as the dust cleared, Yami was still clinging to the edge, with Bakura standing over him.

"The tables have turned." Bakura said, reaching down and taking the Millennium Puzzle from Yami. "Where you're going, you'll have no use for this."

Bakura then stomped on the ground causing the ridge to break under Yami's hand. And he fell into the chasm.

Yugi and the others called for him and ran up but it was too late.

"YAMI-KUN!" Cat screamed and tried to go after him, but Joey and Kay had to hold her back.

Cat struggled and continued to cry Yami's name as tears ran down her face.

Bakura laughed. "Enjoy the Shadow realm, Pharaoh." He said before walking away.

"Karim! Hurry! We must lead a search for the Pharaoh!" Seth cried and they rode away, with their men following.

Honda ran after Bakura. "This is for the Pharaoh!" He yelled and punched Bakura.

Bakura turned to him smiling as blood dripped from his lip. He licked the blood from his lip.

"I like your style. I could use you." He said and grabbed Honda by the neck, lifting him off the ground.

Kanya frowned and ran over to Bakura. "Let him go!" She cried.

Bakura then tossed Honda onto Kanya and they both fell to the ground.

"Fools! You're no match for us!" Bakura said.

"Us?" Honda and Kanya asked.

They looked up to see Bakura's robed henchmen.

"Friends! Hurry! This way!" Bobasa called.

Everyone ran past Bakura, while Bakura's men began to ride down the ridge.

Bakura smiled. "I'm in control of this shadow game." He said. "Reversing the hands of time was a mere taste of what I'm capable of. Now I have five more Millennium Items to seize."

Bakura's men rode up to him as Yugi and the others hid with Bobasa under the ridge.

"We're all safe now." Bobasa said.

"All except for one." Honda said.

"We've got to find the Pharaoh!" Joey said.

"But this was a Shadow Game…and the Pharaoh lost." Anzu said.

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah! Everyone we knew who lost a Shadow Game lost their soul." Joey agreed with Anzu.

"The Pharaoh's okay. We're in the world of his memories, right? Everything's still here. So the Pharaoh must be too." Yugi pointed out.

"I get it, if the Pharaoh's memories are still here, then so is the Pharaoh!" Kanya said.

"All we have to do is search this place until we find him." Yugi said.

Anzu smiled.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Honda asked.

"We've gotten this far, the rest should be a piece of cake." Yugi said.

Cat was the only one not listening. Tears continued to run down her face as she stared at the ground.

Kay and Kate looked at each other sadly.

"Cat…don't worry too much. Yugi said that the Pharaoh's okay. His memories are still here so he's still alive." Kay explained.

"Yeah. We'll find him." Kate agreed.

Cat remained silent and didn't move.


	79. Childhood Memories

It didn't seem long until Dawn rose over the city.

Shada stood at Aknadin's bedside.

"I wonder…if Bakura's evil rampage will ever cease." He said to himself. "First Mahado was attacked…and now Master Aknadin."

He looked down at the Millennium Key. "But what was he doing in the Pharaoh's tablet sanctuary? What was he up to?"

Suddenly, Aknadin's eye opened and Shada quickly hid the Millennium Key behind his back. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Have you found any strong souls?" Aknadin asked.

"Me and Seth came across a young peasant girl who's harboring a creature so powerful, it could not be measured." Shada answered.

Aknadin attempted to get up, but Shada stopped him.

"You need your rest." He said.

But only to be pushed aside.

Aknadin walked away.

* * *

Seth, Karim, Isis and Shimon stood around the empty throne as a guard kneeled before them.

"We're sorry…we've scoured the kingdom…but we couldn't find the Pharaoh." The guard apologized.

"What about Khephera, Luna and Ankh? They haven't returned after last night." Seth asked.

The guard shook his head.

"Even if you have to drain the river Nile, I want them found!" Seth said. "The Pharaoh still walks the earth, and if we expect our kingdom to survive, he must return to the throne."

Isis was concentration on the Millennium Necklace.

"Can you see what the future holds?" Shimon asked Isis.

"One tiny ripple moves across a sea of Shadows. As it spreads, one among them will vanish. More ripples follow…and before long…they will merge to form a devastating force. Time is running out." Isis said.

"Does this foretell the fate of our kingdom?" Shimon asked.

"I fear it foretells the fate of the entire world." Isis answered.

"The order brought about the seven Millennium Items is falling apart…and I thought it would last forever. How could one man have caused all this?" Shimon wondered.

* * *

Seth walked through the halls of the palace with Shada.

"How is Aknadin?" Seth asked.

"I told him of the peasant girl we found and Aknadin stormed out in a fit of rage." Shada answered and they entered the room where the girl was being kept.

But she wasn't there!

"Where did the girl go?" Seth asked the guards.

"Uh…Aknadin took her to the subterranean battle ground." One of the guards answered nervously.

"What?!" Seth cried.

"Do you know why?" Shada asked.

"I can explain…Seth, follow me."

The two turned to find a short, strange and scary little man who was in black robes.

The man led Seth down a series of stairways; deep under the palace to an underground cavern, where monsters faced each other's while their controllers stood on platforms, hanging from the ceiling on chains.

"This can't be." Seth said.

"Let the battle commence!" Aknadin cried.

Seth looked over to see Aknadin sitting in a tall, throne-like chair at the side of the cavern.  
"Master Aknadin has gone mad!" Seth exclaimed.

"This is no time to be resting! Don't you know the rules of combat? Strike down your opponent!" Aknadin ordered one of the men.

Behind Aknadin's chair, Seth spotted the girl in a cage, clinging to the bars, looking rather frightened.

"Attack!" Aknadin repeated his order.

And one of the men's monsters attacked the other.

Seth ran to Aknadin. "Have you lost your mind?!" He cried. "Forcing prisoners to battle one another for your own amusement?! I can't allow this! You must cease at once!"

"Be silent! I'm only executing your idea." Aknadin said as the battle between the two monsters continued. "I understand the Pharaoh is gone. Don't you think it's time we made the necessary provisions?"

Seth looked horrified. "The Pharaoh is out there! The royal guards are searching for him as we speak!" He protested.

"Be realistic. It's time to call a new Pharaoh to the throne. Someone…like you." Aknadin said. "But…you can't lead the empire alone. You'll need an army of powerful creatures, whose might rivals that of the Egyptian gods themselves. And that is exactly what I'm creating for you."

Seth turned away. "What dark forces are at work here?" He growled to himself silently.

"Guards! Lead the next prisoner to the battlefield!" Aknadin ordered.

The guard opened the girl's cage.

"You can't be serious!" Seth cried.

"This young woman is not the meek peasant girl she appears to be. She harbors the most dangerous Shadow creature we've ever seen." Aknadin said.

The guards pulled the girl from the cage and lead her to the battlefield.

"This is an outrage! I won't stand here while you endanger an innocent girl! Even if she is powerful, she's done nothing to deserve this!" Seth cried.

"Stop being so naïve. In this case, the innocent must be punished for the greater good of our people." Aknadin said.

The guards rose a wooden ramp, leading to a hanging platform covered in raised spikes.

"That girl may be the key to the survival of Egypt." Aknadin said.

The girl turned to Seth, seeing the young boy who once saved her. "Help me…" She said.

The guards forced her onto the ramp.

"There is no other way." Aknadin said.

The girl stood trembling as the two monsters that were battling loomed over her.

"Let the battle begin!" Aknadin laughed.

One of the men on the platforms laughed.

"If this is our opponent, I can defeat her with my arms in shackles!" He laughed.

Both monsters attacked while the girl stood, defenseless.

"Don't hold back your rage, girl! Show them the beast the dwells within!" Aknadin called to the girl.

"I've never seen Aknadin behave this way! Bringing harm upon the innocent!" Seth said to himself, horrified.

"I was told that this child harbors the most powerful creature ever imagined. Why doesn't she call it forth to protect herself?" Aknadin wondered to himself.

One of the monsters, an insect like monster, threw a rope like attack at the girl, which wrapped around her.

"Finish her off!" One of the men cried.

"I've wasted enough time! I must see her power!" Aknadin complained.

"Why does she hesitate? Perhaps she is not who I though she was." Seth said to himself.

The girl turned to look at Seth again.

"I can't let this madness continue." Seth whispered to himself as the two monsters closed in on the girl.

Seth then summonsed Duos and leaped in front of the girl to protect her.

"Seth! Get back up here!" Aknadin called.

Seth used his Millennium Rob to free the girl from her bonds and turned back to the monsters.

"You're safe now." He said.

"Thank you." She said.

"What is you're name?" Seth asked.

"Kisara." The girl replied.

"You two! Call off your monsters!" Seth called to the two men.

"You've got a lot of nerve to face us! You're the reason we're in the dungeon in the first place!" One of the men cried.

"Seth! Don't do this!" Aknadin cried, jumping up from his seat.

"Be quiet!" Seth snapped.

"The Pharaoh's servant wants to be a hear, so who are we to stand in his way?" One the men asked. "Go ahead. Save her."

Seth ordered Duos to attack, and it slashed the chains, holding the men's platforms.

One of the monsters plunged into the depths.

Seth and Kisara's platform was partly cut as well. Seth hung from one of the chains by one arm and held into Kisara's hand with the other.

The man with the insect monster was okay though. The monster approached Seth.

"SETH!" Aknadin cried.

Seth looked down at Kisara, who suddenly began to glow with blue aura, her eyes glowing.

Everyone watched in awe as the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon formed above the put.

"That's it!" Seth cried. "That's the creature I saw as a child."

"I thought that it was only a myth!" The man with the insect monster, cried.

"Kisara, please use your power to protect us." Seth said.

The man ordered his insect monster to attack, but Kisara's eyes began to glow again, and the Blue-Eyes White Dragon counterattacked, destroying the man's beast and the man himself.

"It's incredible! I've never seen such power!" Aknadin examined.

Outside the palace, people gasped as the dragon's power burst up from the ground.

"What is that light?" Shimon wondered, standing on the balcony.

Seth carried an unconscious Kisara to one of the guards.

"Make sure she gets some rest." He said.

The guard nodded and carried her away.

"Do you have any idea what we now hold in our hands? The girl wields a beast with enough power to annihilate Bakura's Diabound with one blast! But we need to take it from her, which would mean sealing her soul in stone." Aknadin said.

"Have you lost your mind?" Seth asked angrily.

"Don't let your emotions cloud your reason. They girl is your key to the throne." Aknadin said.

"We already have a Pharaoh! And I intend to find him, not replace him!" Seth protested and began to walk away.

Aknadin grabbed his wrist. "Don't waste your time. Rumor has it that the Pharaoh lost his spirit in a pit of Shadows, and Egypt cannot survive without a king." He said. "Do what's right for your country and take the throne."

Seth pulled away. "That's enough. You have disgraced the name of the Pharaoh and I won't be a part of it."

* * *

Bakura laughed as he sat on the Millennium stone. He had just talked to Zorc, himself.

"The eighth key, huh? The Pharaoh's name…he was the only one who knew it and he wiped his memory!" He laughed. "Well…looks like I have to find his name myself."

* * *

Joey, Honda, Yugi, Cat, Kay, Kate, Kanya and Anzu were pulling on something, hard.

It was Bobasa, who hung from the side of a cliff, while they tried to pull him up.

"I beg you, please don't let Bobasa go!" Bobasa begged and they were finally able to pull him up to safety…where he landed on top of them all.

They all groaned.

"The weight…it's crushing my ribs…"Kay groaned.

"Would you mind getting off of us!" Joey snapped.

Without answering, Bobasa jumped up excitedly and ran to the cliff behind them, which overlooked the Nile River.  
"I'm so happy to see the Nile River!" He said with glee.

Yugi sighed. "I'm beginning to think we'll never find the Pharaoh." He said.

"I have a feeling the Pharaoh's somewhere along this river! After all, a guy needs food an water!" Joey said with a grin.

Yugi smiled and nodded.

Bobasa began to slide down the cliff towards the river and everyone followed.

Unknown to them, Bakura's men gathered on a cliff, watching them.

* * *

"I know I have what it takes to be an elite spellcaster…I just need a little more practice." Mana said to herself with determination as she stood by the riverside.

Just then, a fish jumped up from the river and Mana pointed her staff at it, letting out a cry.

And the fish was frozen in mid air. (Not like cold frozen. Frozen as in "Can't move".)

"Excellent!" She cried happily and giggled. She started to play with it, making the fish flout all over the place.

"Fly up high! Now down low! Then side to side!" She laughed, feeling rather pleased with herself. "Oh yeah! I think I've got the hang of this!"

But suddenly the fish stopped moving, and she wasn't able to move it again.

She waved her staff in frustration, reciting spells.

But instead of moving, the fish blew up like a balloon and then deflated, flying around until it hit poor Mana in the face.

The fish fell back into the river and swam away.

Mana fell to her knees in disappointment.

"Its back to the spellbook." She groaned. "How am I supposed to do this without Master Mahado to guide me?"

She began to cry, but then stopped when she heard voices behind her. She looked in the river to see the reflection of Yugi and the others behind her.

"I don't think she can see us." Yugi said.

But then she stood up and faced them.

"PHARAOH!" She cried happily to Yugi. "What happened to you? You shrunk! And you're dressed in strange clothing! In fact…you all are…" She paused and spotted Cat, Kay and Kate. "Except for you three."

"I guess it's safe to assume she can see us." Joey said.

"She must be like Bobasa." Honda said.

Bobasa then ran up with a fish in his hand.

"While you were making small talk, I was catching big fish!" He cried happily.

"You were supposed to be looking for the Pharaoh! Not for lunch!" Joey snapped.

Bobasa stopped and turned around to show them a bluish purple cape he found. "And look what else Bobasa found!" He said happily.

"That looks just like the Pharaoh's cape!" Joey cried.

"I found it floating in the Nile." Bobasa said.

"'Ey! That cape didn't happen to have a PERSON attached to it, did it?!" Joey snapped.

"Is it possible that the Pharaoh is still around?" Anzu asked.

"I hope so…maybe he was washed away?" Honda suggested.  
"Shut up." Anzu said.

"Yeah! You're not exactly being much help right now." Kate said, frowning at him.

Honda blinked.  
"What do you mean?" He asked.

Kay pointed at Cat, who still looked a little depressed.

Honda covered his mouth. "Oh yeah…oops." He then faked a laugh. "Just kidding!" He continued to laugh dumbly.

Kay smacked him across the back of the head. "Knock it off." She said.

Cat looked up and smiled. "No, it's okay. I'm fine. I got to stop being so depressed all the time." She laughed weakly.

"That must mean the Pharaoh is still around here somewhere." Yugi said.

"If you're not the Pharaoh, then this must mean the king is missing." Mana said to Yugi.

"Will you help us look for him? You're his friend, aren't you?" Yugi asked.

"The Pharaoh is my closest friend." Mana said.

"Mine too. I know we're going to find him soon." Yugi said.

Mana looked slightly surprised.

"Wait… you're the Pharaoh's closest friend too?" She asked.

"We all are! In fact, we've been pals for years!" Joey said.

"If that's so, why don't I know you?" Mana asked.

"It's a long story." Kanya said.

Suddenly, they all heard a horse neigh.

They all turned to see Bakura's men riding towards them.

"If you guys are friends of the Pharaoh, then you're my friends too!" Mana said with a smile and used her magic to cause the river to rise and sweep Bakura's men away while they all ran away.

* * *

Karim searched for Yami on boat in the Nile.

Shada and the palace guards searched along the Nile to find him.

"We've combed the entire desert, and there's still no sign of the Pharaoh." One of the guards said.

"We can't stop." Shada said. "The Pharaoh is out there, and we will find him."

Another guard ran up to Shada. "Good news! We've picked up Bakura's trail!" He reported.

"Alright! Let's go!" Shada said.

But then a shadow passed over them. It was Isis's monster, Spiria.

"Spiria? She must be helping Isis locate the Pharaoh." One of the guards said, looking up.

"Good look Isis…Spiria." Shada said as Spiria flew away down the river.

* * *

Yami sat in a cave at the riverside, scraped and bruised.

"The Millennium Puzzle is gone…in Bakura's hands now." He said to himself.

He remembered the horrible things that Bakura said about his father.

"I wonder…if Bakura's words could be true. Did my father really bring harm to innocent people in order to create the seven Millennium Items? Or did he rule justly, and restore peace in Egypt? I wish I remembered more about him." He said.

Suddenly…Yami had a vision.

* * *

_A baby cried in Shimon's arms._

_"This day has brought us a great blessing! The new Prince of Egypt is born! And one day, he will lead us as Pharaoh." He said._

_It was Yami as a baby._

_The king took the baby out onto the balcony of the palace, where he held the child up to the cheering crowd._

* * *

_Yami as a small child, slowly made his way across the courtyard, his arms reaching out to his father as he was learning how to walk._

_Yami stumbled and fell. He started to cry._

_"Come on…you can make it." The king encouraged._

_Yami stood back up and continued to walk towards his father._

_Finally he made it to his father's arms and threw himself in them, crying._

_"It's alright. Everyone falls once in a while. That's what makes us stronger." His father said, stroking his head._

* * *

_An older, but still young Yami followed his father into a stone passageway._

_Yami wiped tears from his eyes. "Must I go with you father? I don't like this place. What are we doing here anyways?" He asked._

_"This is something you need to witness." His father replied. "But you needn't be afraid. This sanctuary is protected by the Egyptian gods themselves."_

_They entered a large cavern, lit with torches._

_"As long as you show respect, nothing will harm you." Yami's father said to him._

_Yami stood on the top of the stairway. "I-I won't go any further!" He insisted._

_"It's not your choice." His father said, continuing on._

_Yami hurried to follow him and they walked out onto a high stone bridge. Yami stepped too close to the edge and the stone crumbled under his foot and he fell, catching the edge of the bridge with one hand._

_"Father! Help!" He cried._

_"Lift yourself up." His father replied in a soft voice._

_Yami, after a short moment, pulled himself up to safety and continued to follow his father._

_At the other side of the bridge was an altar with figures painted on the walls over it._

_"Who are these people?" Yami asked._

_"They're the Pharaohs who came before." His father replied and kneeled down before the altar, calling out to the Egyptian gods to hear him._

_"I have committed a crime beyond atonement, and I am truly sorry. By bringing the seven Millennium Items into the world, I have destroyed the lives of thousands" He said and bowed low. "I bear full responsibility for these actions. Please…spare my son."_

_Tears fell on the ground under the king._

_"Father…are you alright?" Yami asked._

_Suddenly, flashes of lightning lit up the cavern. Yami gasped in surprise._

_"Don't be afraid, my son. You're safe now." The king said._

* * *

"I think I remember now…my father surrendered his own safety to insure mine." Yami said to himself and then spotted a large strange figure before him, obscured by a bright light.

"Who are you?"

"I am known as Hasan, and I've come to warn you of impending danger. Zorc, the Dark One will soon awaken." The figure said.

"Who is Zorc?" Yami asked.

"He's the embodiment of pure darkness." Hasan replied.

"What can I do to stop him?" Yami asked.

But when he asked that, the figure was already gone. Only a voice was left.

"When the time is right, you'll know."

Yami stood up and slowly walked out of the cave.

"I'll…protect everything my father struggled to build." He said.

As he stood outside of the cave, he noticed a father and son fishing.

He sighed.

* * *

Everyone walked with Mana along the river.

"I've never met a real magician before." Yugi said to Mana.

"I'm really only half a magician, considering that only half of my spells work." Mana giggled.

"Where I come from, there's a card game called Duel Monsters. And there's a character in the game who looks just like you." Yugi said. "Her name is Dark Magician Girl, and she's really powerful. I bet if you keep practicing your spells, you can be just as strong as she is."

"What's your name, anyways?" Anzu asked Mana.

"It was Mana…but now I'm thinking about changing it. To Dark Magician Girl!" Mana giggled.

"Would you like to practice your spells by conjuring up a large sardine sandwich?" Bobasa asked and then stopped suddenly.

Joey crashed into him.

"'EY! Watch where you're going!" He snapped and Joey stepped around him and stopped when he saw what Bobasa saw.

It was Yami standing on the beach below!

Everyone ran up to the edge.

"PHARAOH!" They all called.

Yami blinked and looked up at them and smiled at them.

They all ran over to happily greet him.

* * *

**Hehe, I loved the flashbacks when Yami was younger. You think with how he is now, you would never think that he was such a crybaby when he was younger...oh well. I think its cute. Hehehe.**


	80. The Destined Battle of Kul Elna

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon Jet arrived over Egypt.

"You have arrived at Cairo, Egypt, sir." Kaiba's flight command said.

Kaiba looked out his window, seeing pyramids in the desert below.

"I could have told you that by looking out my window." Kaiba said.

The jet landed in front of the Egyptian museum, where Marik, Kairi, Ishizu and Odion waited.

"You're right, Ishizu. Kaiba DID show up." Marik said.

Kaiba hopped out of his jet.  
"Who are you?" He asked the four. "The welcoming committee?"

"Have you forgotten us already?" Ishizu asked.

"How could I forget the three freaks that turned my Battle City Tournament into a circus sideshow?" Kaiba asked. "Step aside, I have work to do."

"Don't bother. The stone tablet is no longer here…it has been returned to its resting place." Ishizu said. "That's what you seek, isn't it? The Pharaoh's tablet?"

"Not quite." Kaiba said and took out the Millennium Eye out of his jacket, showing them. "That punk, Bakura, handed it to me just before he walked out on our duel."

Marik looked surprised when Kaiba mentioned Bakura.

"Bakura must be planning to prevent the Pharaoh from fulfilling his destiny! We have to make sure he fails…but how?" He wondered.

"Kaiba, we need you. I'll make you a deal. We'll help you locate Bakura, if you help us save the Pharaoh." Ishizu said.

* * *

Mana giggled cheerfully as she bounced up and down on Bobasa's huge belly. Both of them were laughing happily.

"Who's next?" Bobasa asked.

Everyone decided to pass.

After that, Mana chased Bobasa down the beach, playing some unknown game.

Yugi looked at Yami, who sat beside him on the beach.

"I heard about Bakura. So he's the evil force you battled all these years ago." He said.

"That's right. And now Bakura has our Millennium Puzzle. An Item passed down to me from my father." Yami said.

"Does that mean your memory's back?" Yugi asked.

Yami shook his head.

"I only remember a fragment of my childhood, when I was Prince and my father protected me. My father was a powerful leader who created the Millennium Items in order to restore peace to Egypt. But I'm afraid the seven Items have a dark side as well." He answered.

"That must be why Bakura wants to get a hold of them." Honda said.

"You're right. And I must do everything in my power to stop Bakura, just as I did in the past." Yami said.

"We're all here to help you." Yugi said.

"By the way, did you ever learn what your name is?" Anzu asked.

Yami pulled out the cartouche from beneath his tunic, showing everyone. "See for yourself." He said.

The cartouche remained blank.

"Oh…so I guess it's still blank, huh?" Anzu asked.

"No one here calls me by my real name. They refer to me as "King" or "Pharaoh"." Yami said.

Cat stood to the side and picked up her own cartouche, looking down at it. She flipped it over to the name on the back. The Pharaoh's REAL name.

She sighed, knowing the time wasn't right. She still couldn't read the hieroglyphics. And she was sure no one else could either.

"Once again, I feel useless." She sighed to herself quietly.

"Hey! C'mon everyone! Come on in! The water's nice!" Mana called to the gang as she and Bobasa sat in the water before splashing each other and laugh.

* * *

Seth stood over Kisara's bed. "I hope she'll rest well. She possesses a gift that might save us." He said to himself. "But now her secret is out. Master Aknadin wants to take that power away from her. What puzzles me is how a man who built his reputation on giving mercy to criminals can be so heartless. When I first entered the Pharaoh's court, it was him who taught me compassion and reason. Now I hardly recognize him."

One of the guards rushed to Seth.

"Priest Seth! I've just received word that the Pharaoh's all right! He's on the south bank of the River Nile!" He said.

Seth nodded and strode out of the room, giving the guard a command.

"Move Kisara to another room quickly! And make sure no one sees you."

"The Pharaoh has been found!" Shimon announced the joyous news to the royal guards.

The guards cheered.

"The Pharaoh is in good health, and Shada will see to it that he returns safely." Isis said, consulting her Necklace.

"We can all rest easy now." Shimon said.

Aknadin looked shocked as he stood to the side. "It's impossible! How could the Pharaoh have survived?" He asked himself so no one could hear.

Isis gasped.

"Wait! I see something else!" She said and paused. "I have terrible news! The Pharaoh's Millennium Puzzle is missing!"

* * *

Bobasa came up from behind Yami and Yami turned around, looking up at the large man, with a confused look.

"Uh…who are you?" He asked.

"You are a lot shorter than Bobasa though you'd be." Bobasa said with a serious look before laughing. "I'm kidding!"

"Uh, Pharaoh, meet our new friend and honorary new member of the group." Yugi introduced Yami. "We would have never found you without his help."

Bobasa laughed again. "Oh come now, you're making me blush!"

Yami smiled at Bobasa and held out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you." He said as Bobasa took his hand in a shake.  
"The pleasure's mine." Bobasa said.

Spiria flew along the river, leading Shada and his men to Yami and the others.

"Pharaoh!" Shada called and everyone looked at Shada.

When Shada reached Yami, he bowed before him. "I'm glad to find that you're safe." He said.

"I'm sorry to have alarmed everyone." Yami said.

Joey stuck his hand in front of Shada's face. "He can't see us, right?" He asked.

Shada then stood up quickly. "YOU!" He exclaimed, making Joey jump back in surprise.

But he wasn't talking to Joey.

Mana, Cat, Kay and Kate were trying to sneak away, but stopped when Shada snapped at them.

"You four knew of the Pharaoh's whereabouts all along, didn't you!" He snapped.

The four looked at him, sweatdropping.

"Uh…maybe?" Mana said.

"More importantly, we've found Bakura's hiding spot." Shada said to Yami, suddenly ignoring the other four. "We've traced his trail to a deserted village, once known as Kul Elna."

"Excellent!" Yami said and jumped onto one of the horses the rescue party brought. "To Kul Elna!" He cried.

"Hold it! We're coming too!" Joey said.

"It's too dangerous for you to join me. Bakura has challenged me to a Shadow Game with the ultimate stakes." Yami said. "You should go back to your world and let me deal with this."

Mana jumped on the horse, sitting behind Yami as they took off.

"Bye everyone! It was nice meeting you!" She called.

"Well…that's great." Kay said sarcastically. "There he goes, running head first again."

"I suppose we should find a way back home, like he wanted us to?" Kate suggested.

"Well…" Kay started, but didn't finish.

"You guys go ahead and go back if you want."

Everyone looked at Cat who was clumsily trying to get on one of the horses left behind for the three girls.

She struggled to get onto the horse, not used to being on horses.

"Yami…kun…needs us!" She grunted as she continued to try and get on the horse. "We three were involved in his past…and helped him…defeat the enemy. I can't…let that change! Or…who knows what'll…happen!"

She let out a yelp as she accidentally fell off the horse, hitting the ground.

The horse shook its head and let out a small grunt.

Everyone sweatdropped at Cat.

"You're in no position to try and help save the world." Anzu said sarcastically.

"But I suppose you're right." Kay said. "If we change the past, we may end up changing the future…which…if I'm right…is bad."

Kate nodded. "Alright! We three will go. But the rest of you don't have to stay. You should probably listen to the Pharaoh." She said as she and Kay jumped on two other horses and Cat finally was able to get on her own.

The three quickly rode off after Yami, Mana and the rest.

"Yeah? Well the Pharaoh still needs all the help he can get!" Joey said.

"We can't even pick up an apple in this world! So how can we help?" Honda reminded him.

"I don't know, but I'm not quitting that easily!" Joey said.

"Joey's right. The Pharaoh would never give up on us." Yugi agreed.

"We're not giving up on his either!" Joey said.

"YEAH!" The five cried in agreement.

* * *

"Bakura's in Kul Elna, and the Pharaoh and Shada are on their way there now." Isis said, consulting her Necklace again.

Shimon stepped forward. "The others must join them and protect our king." He said.

The guards cheered eager to go.

"Oh no…not Kul Elna!" Aknadin he cried to himself through clenched teeth.

* * *

Everyone rode up to the deserted village, all in ruins.

"I've heard that this village was once populated by criminals and deviants, and one day they just disappeared." Shada said.

Spirits seemed to fly around the deserted village as they rode through the empty streets.

"I've heard that this town is inhabited by ghosts!" One of the guards said nervously.

Mana shrunk down behind Yami. "Can't we just leave Bakura a note, asking him to meet us somewhere that isn't haunted?" She asked as more spirits flew around. "Anyone with me?"

Everyone was silent.

"Guess not…" Mana said.

Suddenly, a skeletal arm reached up from the ground to grab one of the horses' legs.

The horse reared in shock and the guard that was riding the horse fell to the ground where more skeletal hands reached for him.

Then, an army of skeletons with swords appeared. Some rising from the ground, others coming from the ruined buildings.

Mana screamed as everyone was suddenly surrounded by the ghostly army.

* * *

Bakura sat upon the Millennium Stone, the Millennium Ring jingling around his neck.

"The time has come." He said as phantoms, ghosts and spirits swirled around him. "It appears our royal majesty has arrive. Welcome Pharaoh, to my humble abode…where I have the home field advantage."

* * *

Shada and his men fought off the skeletons as Mana cringed behind Yami, her eyes filled with frightened tears, when suddenly she heard a voice.

"You have the power to defeat them."

Listening to the words, Mana jumped off the horse, holding up her staff.

"You don't need to protect me, Pharaoh! I should be the one protecting you. If I want to be one of your elite spellcasters one day, I shouldn't be hiding behind you. If Mahado was here…he'd say the same thing." She said, suddenly.

"Very well." Yami said.

Shada activated his Diadiankh and summoned Two-Headed Jackal Warrior.

The monster began to smash the skeletons right and left.

Mana and Shada were back to back.

"We'll fight, Pharaoh! You find Bakura!" He said.

They each exchanged their good lucks and they parted as Yami continued into the village.

* * *

"Revenge will soon be ours. The son shall pay for the sins of his father." Bakura said to the spirits that swirled around him.

* * *

Yami found the stairway that led to the underground cavern. He made his way down to the bottom of the stairs.

"Welcome, Pharaoh. I'm impressed. Your father never had courage to come here." Bakura greeted.

* * *

The skeleton army was beginning to close in on Mana.

She shut her eyes tightly and activated her magic.

Her staff glowed and the skeletons broke up, falling to dust.

Mana re-opened her eyes to see the street empty before them.

"Uh...Nicely done." Shada said, dumbfounded.

Mana looked up and smiled to see a figure appear in the sky, glowing pink.

She figure looked like…the Dark Magician Girl!

Just then, Kate, Cat and Kay rode up to the two.

"Mana! Shada! Where did the Pharaoh go?" Cat asked.

"The Pharaoh went to find Bakura at the end of the village." Shada answered.

"Luna! Don't tell me you plan to go down there!" Mana cried.

Cat nodded and was about to continue on until Shada stood in front of her horse.

"Your highness, I cannot allow anything to happen to you! So I can't let you do this! The Pharaoh would be furious if anything happened to you." He said.

Cat frowned with determination.

"I don't care what happens to me. He needs help! He's helped me countless times before…and I promised a while ago that I wouldn't be weak any longer. So I'm going to keep that promise!" She said and quickly rode around him.

"LUNA!" Mana and Shada cried as she rode off, Kay and Kate soon following after.

* * *

"Bakura! I challenge you to continue our duel!" Yami snapped.

"But there's something you should look at first." Bakura said, pointing to the stone he was sitting on.

"Is that the Legendary Millennium Stone tablet?" Yami asked.

"It's the one and only." Bakura replied. "The stone is guarded by the spirits who were imprisoned to create it. Your father destroyed their village and captured their souls in order to gain the power to dominate mankind. I know this because I am the only survivor of the village!"

"My father created the Millennium Items in order to gain peace and prosperity for Egypt!" Yami insisted.

"That's what you've been told by your guardians, but they lied!" Bakura said. "Spirits! Show the Pharaoh the truth!"

The spirits then circled Yami and he cried out in pain.

"Soon your spirit will join theirs! Trapped for all eternity." Bakura said.

Yami fell to his knees and clutched his chest in pain.

"Without the Millennium Puzzle, you're powerless!" Bakura laughed. "Finally, the town of Kul Elna strikes back!"

Suddenly the spirits surrounding the Pharaoh were blown away and the Dark Magician stood in front of Yami.

"Mahado!" Yami exclaimed.

Bakura glared at Mahado.

"Getting destroyed once wasn't enough, so you're back for round two!" He said.

"I'm here to save my King." Mahado answered.

"You don't have to put yourself in harm's way again." Yami said.

"I made a vow to always protect you, and that vow will hold no matter how powerful our foe." Mahado said.

"Mahado…did my father truly destroy a village to forge the Millennium Items?" Yami asked.

"I can answer that! Since I was there when it happened!" Bakura interrupted. "It was an evening that I'll never forget. I watched in horror as your father's henchmen harnessed the souls of my fellow villagers to further his own selfish needs!"

"How could he? My own Father?" Yami cried.

"What Bakura has failed to mention is that every person in this village was evil." Mahado said.

"How do you know that?" Yami asked.

"I've always sensed the darkness within my Millennium Ring, so I began to research the spell used to create it. I then reported my findings to the former Pharaoh, who was as surprised as I was when he learned what had occurred at Kul Elna." Mahado continued.

* * *

_"What?! How can these bring peace, if they're plagued by evil?!" Aknamkanon cried._

_"It's not your fault. You didn't know." Mahado said_

_Mahado kneeled down at Aknamkanon's bedside as the Pharaoh laid there._

_"Every task carried out by my guards are my responsibility, and now I must pay, by confessing my crime to the Egyptian gods." He said._

* * *

"My father was innocent!" Yami cried.  
"Your father took the blame so that you could continue his legacy, by finally bringing peace to Egypt." Mahado said.

"You're right." Yami said.

"Are you finished?" Bakura asked and then laughed. "Spirits! Destroy both of these fools!"

Yami looked up, remembering his father kneeling before the altar of their ancestors.

"My father was a worthy king!" Yami cried as he stood up. "I owe it to my father to take you down, Bakura! And restore the land to prosperity!"

The spirits were just about to hit Yami, until he was knocked out of the way.

Cat had pushed him to the side, causing them both to fall over, without getting hit by the spirits.

Kay and Kate finally made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Nice save!" Kate said.

"But I'll give you a 7 for the landing." Kay laughed.

Yami looked at Cat as they sat up. "Cat?" He asked. "What are you doing here?! It's too dangerous!"

Cat looked at him with all determination. "Yami-kun…I won't let you do this on your own. You've helped me so many times…unconditionally. And so now it's my turn to repay the favor." She said. "I'm going to help you. I don't care what happens to me."

"But I care!" Yami said. "I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you!"

"THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME!" Cat cried and there was a silence between the two. "I-I'm sorry for yelling…but this truly isn't about me…its about you. These are YOUR memories. And I'm here to help. I'm sure…Luna did the same thing." She said more softly.

Yami stared at her for a moment longer before sight. "I suppose I can't stop you then. All right. Just promise me you'll be careful." He said.

Cat smiled and nodded. "You can count on it." She said.

Kay and Kate joined them.

The spirits were coming around for another attack, but Mahado jumped in front of them, holding out a hand, putting up a magical barrier against the oncoming spirits.

"Bakura! Return the Millennium Items to where they belong!" Yami commanded.

"I suppose you think the Items belong with you. If you'd been paying attention, you'd know that the Items were meant to be back in their original resting-place, which is where I plan to put them." Bakura said.

"Never!" Yami cried.

Bakura activated his Diadiankh and summonsed Diabound.

"He's evolved!" Kate cried.

Diabound looked bigger and even more vicious-looking.

"Be careful." Yami said to everyone as Mahado moved in front of them.

"Diabound! Use Thunder force attack!" Bakura cried.

"Dark Magic Portal!" Mahado responded, creating the portal, which absorbed Diabound's attack and redirected it.

The attack hit one of the pillars and it started to fall on the Millennium Stone.

"Diabound! Stop the pillar!" Bakura ordered and Diabound stopped it with it's serpent tail.

Mahado took this chance and attacked, hitting Diabound's eye.

Bakura staggered back, his hand over his eye. "You will never destroy Diabound! And just wait until you meet Zorc the Dark One!" He cried.

Yami gasped, remembering Hasan, warning him about Zorc.

"The stone tablet conceals the source of his true power, so I'll call upon another Shadow creature to protect it." Bakura said and summoned Skeleton Fiend, which formed around the tablet.

"Anyone up for a game of hide and seek?" Bakura asked as Diabound disappeared.

"We mustn't let it get away!" Yami said.

Mahado sent a series of attacks around the cavern, searching for Diabound.

The attacks blasted holes in the walls and ceiling of the cavern.

Sun shined through some of the holes in the ceiling.

"My Diabound is concealed by the darkness, so trying to attack him is pointless!" Bakura said.

"We weren't attacking him." Yami said.

Diabound was revealed in one of the shafts of light.

"Finish him off!" Yami said to Mahado.

Mahado attacked Diabound and the blows that Diabound received threw Bakura back.

Diabound began to sink to the ground.

"It's over." Yami said.

Bakura struggled to his feet. "Not yet." He said. "Mahado may have improved his skills, but he's not good enough to keep me down! Spirits! Fill me with your power, so I can avenge your suffering!"

Bakura laughed as he began to glow bright red with the spirit's strength.

Diabound rose again.

Mahado attacked again, but Diabound blocked his attacks, before counterattacking with Spiral Shock Wave.

Mahado was thrown back into one of the pillars and then fell to the ground.

Bakura ordered for Diabound to attack with Lightning Blast and Mahado disappeared, leaving only a hole in the ground.

"Game over." Bakura said. "The Dark Magician is no more."

"Mahado is safe."

Everyone looked up to see the Dark Magician Girl carrying Mahado by the arm towards one of the holes in the roof.

"Who summoned you?" Mahado asked.

"A former student of yours." The Dark Magician Girl replied and looked up at Mana, who kneeled on the roof, over one of the holes, her eyes close, working on her spells.

"Mana!" Everyone cried happily.

Mana smiled at them.

"I thought you might need some help!" She said.


	81. The Lost Name of the Pharaoh

Mahado smiled.

"You've always been my top student." He said. "I never imagined you'd one day save me. Even in my absence, I can see you've been keeping up with your training."

* * *

Seth and the other priests rode through the village, beset by the spirits of the dead.

Shada had his Two-Headed Jackal Warrior protect Seth who was about to get attacked by one of the ghosts.

"I'll hold back the spirits while you go to the underground shrine to help the Pharaoh and the others." Shada said to Seth.

Seth nodded.

"Be careful!" Shimon said to Shada as they rode off.

* * *

Mana slid down one of the pillars to join Yami, Cat, Kay and Kate.

"Thanks for your help." Yami said.

Bakura frowned angrily. "You should have stayed at home, girl!" Bakura growled at Mana.

Mahado resumed his place, standing in front of everyone. "It's time." He said and the Dark Magician Girl moved to his side.

They attacked together, sending repeated blasts of magic at Diabound.

"Nice try, but it will take more than that to defeat my Diabound!" Bakura said with a grin. "Spirits of Kul Elna! Give my creature some company!"

Just then, two more Diabounds formed beside the original.

"Diabound has picked up a few new tricks, thanks to my spirit friends." Bakura said as the three Diabounds began to attack.

Mahado and the Dark Magician Girl counterattacked and the duplicate Diabounds were destroyed.

The real Diabound attacked with Helical Shock Wave, causing Mahado and the Dark Magician Girl to be swept away.

Mahado was slammed into a wall and Yami fell to his knees in pain while Mana kneeled beside him.

Bakura laughed. "Your reign is over, Pharaoh!" He cried. "But maybe I should have some fun with this. Diabound! You know what to do!"

Then, Diabound launched an attack…right towards Cat.

Everyone cried out her name and, knowing she wouldn't have enough time to dodge, she held up her arms to try and shield herself.

As the attack came closer, she started to glow a little.

There was an explosion of light as the attack hit the ground and everyone gasped as the light cleared.

There was nothing left.

Bakura laughed at everyone's shocked expressions.

"I might as well add a little misery to your soon to be death. But don't worry…you soon be joining your "loved one" very soon!" He cried.

Mana looked like she was about to cry until suddenly, she spotted something.

"G-Guys! Look up!" She cried.

Everyone looked up over the place where she was attacked, including Bakura.

There, in mid-air, Cat was being carried by…a woman?

"That's Luna's Ka?" Mana asked, surprised.

"What?!" Bakura cried.

Cat's (Really Luna's, though.) Ka looked just like the Dark Magician Girl, only she looked a little older and she had blue eyes. Her eyes were sharper and her outfit was a little different from the Dark Magician Girl's outfit. The outfit was green and had jewels all over. Plus her staff was different and her hair was the same as Cat's (Luna's which is a lighter brown) only more red.

"The…Magician's Valkyria?" Yami gasped.

Kate sighed in relief. "Oh my…thank goodness! I thought she was a smoldering crater for a moment there!" She said.

"Yeah, me too." Kay agreed as she also relaxed a bit.

Magician's Valkyria held onto Cat with one arm as she glared down at Bakura.

Cat still looked a little shooken up from before.

Her Ka then flew her down safely next to the others and set her down before joining the other two Magicians.

Yami put a hand on Cat's shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Cat smiled weakly. "A-A little shooken up…but fine. Thanks." She replied in a shaky tone.

Bakura looked furious. "Diabound! Attack again!" He cried angrily.

Mana stood up and glared at Bakura as she created magical hats to hide herself, Yami, Cat, Kay and Kate.

And the attack destroyed one of the empty hats.

"You can't hide!" Bakura cried as Diabound attacked the hats, causing Yami, Cat, Kay, Kate and Mana to be thrown back as their hat was destroyed.

"Diabound! End this!" Bakura cried and Diabound swiped a clawed hand at Yami.

But suddenly, a sword flew through the air, slashing Diabound's arm.

The monster recoiled and so did Bakura, clutching his own arm.

Duos, Seth's creature, arrived just in time to save Yami.

Seth, Karim, Isis, and Shimon ran down the stairs into the cavern and gathered around the five.

"I see that there are now three more Millennium Items present." Bakura said with a grin.

"Are you alright?" Shimon asked Yami.

"Mahado!" Isis exclaimed as Mahado came up. "You have returned…just like I predicted."

"Even though my spirit is sealed in stone, I'll continue to protect our king." Mahado said.

"Your devotion is an inspiration to us all." Shimon said to Mahado.

Seth stepped forward. "We'll have plenty of time to praise Mahado later. Right now, we have a villain to defeat." He said.

Bakura laughed.

"Yes. The Pharaoh is weak and time is short." Karim agreed.

Isis then summoned Mystical Elf, which replenished the life energy of Yami, and he glowed with new strength.

He stood up, ready to continue on.

"Pharaoh! It's too dangerous with out your Millennium Puzzle. You should leave Bakura to us!" Shimon said.

"That's an excellent idea! That way, I can acquire three more Millennium Items, for a grand total of five!" Bakura said, grinning.

Seth, Karim, and Isis stood together in front of Yami.

"Yeesh. I'm starting to feel useless." Kay said, rubbing the side of her head.

Kate nodded. "I wonder…how can we summon Ka?" She wondered.

Kay shrugged.

"Beats me." She replied. "But we should at least TRY and think up a way to help, or else we're just sitting ducks."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Nice expression." She giggled.

Karim summoned the Curse of Dragon, which joined Duos, Mahado, Dark Magician Girl and Magician's Valkyria to defend everyone.

"The more, the merrier." Bakura said. "Diabound! Show them the power of the shadows!"

"Respond with a synchronized blast!" Seth cried to everyone.

The monsters all counterattacked together, but when the smoke cleared, Diabound was unharmed behind a web of spirits.

"Diabound is protected by the dark spirits of Kul Elna, who despise the kingdom as much as I do! As long as we remain in the village, the spirits will protect me." Bakura explained.

* * *

Aknadin made his way along the streets of the village, leaning against the walls of the ruins.

"The spirits of this village are angry. They blame me for what happened here all those years ago…when their spirits were captured to forge the Millennium Items. But I did what was necessary, and I stand by that decision." He said to himself.

Ghostly forms rose from the earth and walls around him.

Aknadin started back, falling to the ground.  
"S-Stay back!" He said to them, helplessly.

Then, suddenly, the Two-Headed Jackal Warrior came to his rescue.

Shada ran to Aknadin.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "You shouldn't be walking these streets alone."

"Where are the others?" Aknadin asked.

"They've all gone to an underground cavern to help the Pharaoh." Shada answered.

Aknadin paused and looked at Shada's Millennium Key.

"Shada…your item is rattling." He said.

Shada looked at it.

"It's detecting a powerful force." He said. "Wait here while I go to investigate."

Shada ran off, following the Key into a building, where a trap door in the floor revealed a stairway leading underground.

"Whatever my Key is detecting, lies at the foot of these stairs." He said and began to walk down the steps.

"I can feel the dark energy growing."

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he walked into a large, dark room.

He rose his Key.

"Millennium Key! Cast light upon the Shadows." He said and the Key began to glow. He gasped.

On the wall before him…was the stone tablet of Bakura's Diabound!

Aknadin walked up from behind Shada.

"Everything makes sense to me now. Evil spirits of this village must have created Diabound. It was born out of their rage and sealed in stone down here." He said.

"If we destroy this tablet, Bakura's beast will be no more." Shada said and turned to the tablet, raising his Diadiankh, about to summon Two-Headed Jackal Warrior.

But before he could finish summoning the monster, he was hit in the back of the head with a stone block...by Aknadin.

Shada fell to the ground as two skeletal spirits emerged from the stone tablet, picking him up.

They began to drag Shada away, and his Millennium Key fell to the ground.

"How…how could you?" Shada asked Aknadin weakly.

Aknadin dropped the stone and picked up the Millennium Key.

"I refuse to let you stand in the way of my son's destiny." He said.

* * *

"Your attack will never penetrate my spirit shield!" Bakura laughed.

"I'm afraid he's right." Karim said.

Diabound attacked and destroyed Mystical Elf.

"The Elf won't be regenerating anyone's strength now." Bakura said.

Isis sunk down in pain and Cat, Kay and Kate ran up to her.

"I-I'll be fine." She said.

Kay growled at Bakura. "You know, you're REALLY starting to bug me!" She snapped. "If it wasn't for that huge monster of yours, I would have ringed your neck dry a long time ago!"

"And I would have helped!" Kate added in.

Bakura only laughed, thinking to himself that he would soon have the seven Millennium Items, allowing Zorc the Dark On to rise. And this time he wouldn't be defeated. Thanks to his newest servant…he remembered holding Honda by the neck.

* * *

Everyone was collapsed on a ridge overlooking the river.

"Chasing bad guys makes me hungry." Bobasa said.

"I don't even wanna hear you talk about food." Joey said.

Below, they could see Bakura's men crossing the river.

"It's weird that Bakura's men hasn't come after us since the Pharaoh left." Yugi said.

"We're safe, so who cares?" Honda said, already standing up. "We should be focusing our energy on figuring out how to help the Pharaoh win."

"Yeah. If we want the Pharaoh to defeat Bakura again, we have to do our part." Anzu said.

"Hey…Honda. You're acting a little strange. Aren't you a man of action?" Joey asked.

"I am?" Honda asked and shook his head, getting a dark look in his eyes. "Never mind that. The Pharaoh saved Egypt from destruction, he lost his memory. What if he did it on purpose?"

"I can't believe we never thought about that before! The Pharaoh must have been protecting a secret that only he knew!" Yugi cried in realization.

"I don't get it." Joey said in a clueless tone.

"The Pharaoh didn't just forget his past, he wiped his memory clean so no one could bring back the evil that he locked away!" Yugi explained.

"But what was he trying to hide?" Kanya asked.

Anzu was in thought. "Wait! His real name!" She said.

"Yeah. The Pharaoh's real name had to remain a secret." Yugi said with a nod.

"How did you guys figure THAT out?" Joey asked.

"The Pharaoh's name was removed from the stone tablet. The Pharaoh must have used it as a password of sorts to lock the evil creature away." Yugi explained. "Now Bakura is trying to resurrect that monster to take over the world. Once Bakura collects the Millennium Items and frees the creature, the Pharaoh can only stop it if he knows his real name."

"So we have to find it and tell the Pharaoh!" Joey said.

"Unfortunately, we're running out of time." Yugi added in. "Because if the Pharaoh doesn't know his name…"

"He won't be able to win." Kanya finished the sentence.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find that name!" Honda said.

"But how are we going to do that?" Joey asked. "The Pharaoh doesn't remember, and it's not like we can look it up in an ancient Egyptian Phone Book!"

"I have an idea where we can start! There are bound to be some records at the palace that will lead us in the right direction." Yugi said.

And with that Honda took off for the palace with Joey and the others running after him.

* * *

"Duos! Attack Diabound!" Seth ordered.

Duos attacked, but it had no effect.

Diabound returned an attack and it hit all of the remaining monsters the priests had, leaving the priests on the ground, coughing.

Kay ran to Seth. "Hey, are you alright?" She asked, putting her hands on his shoulders.

Seth looked up weakly. "I'm fine." He replied and stood back up, with Kay at his side.

"The spirit shield is deflecting even our most powerful blasts." He said.

"It's time we called upon the power of the Millennium Scale!" Karim said. "We must merge our creatures together to take down Bakura."

He held up the Scale, telling it to fuse their two spirits into one.

Curse of Dragon and Duos combined to form Duos Dragon.

Mahado leapt atop the dragon.

"Now, we've tripled our strength." Seth said.

"Your mutant is still no match for Diabound!" Bakura said.

"We'll see." Seth returned.

Duos Dragon attacked and Diabound counterattacked with Helical Shock Wave.

The two attacks met, neither one overcoming the other.

"Our attacks are equal." Seth said.

"But I have the spirits of Kul Elna on my side." Bakura reminded and Diabound released more attacks and began to beat back Duos Dragon's attack.

"Duos Dragon! Use Aura Sword!" Seth ordered, but he couldn't hold back the attack for long. Seth was holding up his Millennium Rod. "A little help, Karim?"

Karim called for Flame Blast attack, and the attack began to melt the spirit shield.

But Seth's arm, holding the Millennium Rod was starting to sizzle.

"We're almost there! Once we penetrate the shield, we'll be able to defeat Diabound!" Karim said.

"You won't get through." Bakura said. "I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve."

He summoned his flying eyeball monster, which attacked Karim, knocking the Millennium Scale out of his hand.

Karim fell to his knees and one of the spirits retrieved the Scale for Bakura.

Without the Scale, the monsters couldn't maintain their fusion, and the two split.

Diabound attacked, destroying all of the monsters and blasting the priests into the air.

Isis ran to Karim, who had fallen.

"Help…the Pharaoh." He said.

Isis looked around and saw Mana lying on the ground, Seth sitting against a pillar with Kay rushing to his aid, and Yami lifting himself onto his hands with Cat next to him.

"It's time to try my new toy." Bakura said and used the Millennium Scale.

He fused Diabound with the flying eyeball.

Diabound looked the same, only now he had an eye in the middle of its chest.

"Finally…the spirits of Kul Elna will have their revenge!" Bakura said.

Yami struggled to his feet.

"Bakura…spare my friends…and take me!" He cried.

Everyone gasped.

"Yami, did you take a blast to your HEAD or WHAT?" Kay cried.

"Don't do this!" Cat cried.

"We can't lose you!" Seth said.

"Please, stop!" Kate cried.

The others protested as well.

But Yami ignored their protests and walked forward. "This is something I must do." He said and stood before Diabound.

Bakura laughed. "Prepare to be trapped for all eternity in the spirit world!" He cried as the spirit shield formed into a huge skill, about to attack.

"When my father ordered the creation of the Millennium Items, evil spirits needed to be captured to complete the spells. Those dark spirits blame my father for trapping them there and they want me to pay the price. I'll allow my soul to join them, and the grudge will be laid to rest." Yami said.

Bakura raised the Millennium Scale. "Spirits! Absorb the Pharaoh's spirit!" He cried and the spirits rushed to Yami, flowing into his stomach.

"It's over. Farewell." Bakura said with an evil smirk.

Everyone stared in horror and shock as the spirits entered him. Cat had tears in her eyes.

Yami clutched his arms to his chest and stood there, shivering as the spirits swirled inside him.

Deep within him…there was his father…and a younger version of Yami standing with him.

"I never meant for this to happen." His father said as tears streamed from his eyes as the spirits approached and a shockwave formed.

A golden aura formed around Yami as he struggled against the spirits within him.

A figure formed above Yami.

"Spirits of Kul Elna! It is me that you want!"

It was the spirit of Aknamkanon, standing over Yami, arms outspread to accept the spirits.

The spirits then flowed out of Yami and into Aknamkanon.

The cavern Shada and Aknadin were in was empty…until Shada emerged from Diabound's stone tablet and fell to the ground.

Diabound shrunk as the spirits disappeared into Aknamkanon.

The former Pharaoh turned to everyone else.

"Father…what will happen now?" Yami asked.

"King Aknamkanon will lead the wandering spirits to the realm of Shadows, where they belong." Mahado explained. "But as a result, he'll be trapped there as well."

"That's not fair!" Yami protested.

"Spirits! Return to me!" Bakura shouted. "Have you forgotten your hate?"

But Aknamkanon started to dissolve away, taking the spirits with him.

"Farewell…father." Yami said sadly as Aknamkanon disappeared.

"My son…restore peace to our land." Aknamkanon said before he was gone.

"Mahado! Attack Diabound now, while it's weak!" Yami cried.

Mahado attacked Diabound with his Dark Magic attack and destroyed Diabound.

"Your reign ends now." Yami said to Bakura.

* * *

Shada looked on in surprise as Diabound's stone tablet cracked and crumbled.

* * *

Yugi and the others ran toward the palace gates, stopping.

"Wait. Remember what happened last time?" Anzu reminded.

"Maybe this time we can get in." Yugi said and looked up at the gates. "I know why we were sent here…we have to find out the Pharaoh's real name, so he can beat Bakura at his own game. Pharaoh…please let us in."

Yugi reached out his hand and it passed through the stone.

He stared at his hand surprised. "Hey! It worked!" He said with a smile, looking at his friends.

"Are you sure?" Joey and Kanya asked.

Bobasa celebrated. "This place is known for its delectable food!" He cried happily.

"C'mon! Let's get in there and start hunting for clues!" Yugi said and ran through the gate while the others followed.

Honda chuckled to himself evilly before walking through the palace gates.

Inside, they ran through the courtyard and stopped on the wide pathway.

"Let's meet back here in an hour." Yugi said.

Everyone nodded and then split up.

* * *

Bakura stood, gaping in shock.

His Skeleton Fiend disappeared; leaving the Millennium Stone unprotected.

"This…this isn't over!" Bakura cried. "Your empire will crumble, and the Millennium Items will be mine! Zorc the Dark One will return!"

And with that…he collapsed face first to the ground.

"It's all over." Yami said as Bakura crawled weakly up the steps to the Millennium Stone.

"The land of Egypt shall once again know peace."

Bakura struggled to place the Millennium Puzzle and Scale into their slots on the stone.

"Never…" He muttered and placed the Ring in its place.

"Bakura! Return the Millennium Items to me!" Yami cried.

"The Items will stay right where they are."

Everyone turned in surprise to see Aknadin standing above them on the steps, holding the Millennium Key.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yami asked.

"I am responsible for the creation of the Millennium Items, and I'll decide their fate." Aknadin said.

"Aknadin has the Key!" Isis pointed out.

"That Item belongs to Shada! What have you done with him?" Seth asked.

"What's important is that his Millennium Item will be put to good use." Aknadin said and began to walk towards the Millennium Stone.

Bakura turned to them, laughing madly as a purple aura glowed around him and then flew up out of the cavern.

Then, Bakura staggered on the stone.

"Wha…where am I?" He asked. His voice seemed a little different. He looked at everyone else. "Who are you?"

He then looked down at his hands, which were pulsing and glowing with streams of gold and purple. His whole body was as well.

"What's happening to me?" He asked as his hands began to turn into sand.

"I was just using that fool as a pawn!" A bodiless voice said, that sounded like Bakura.

"Who's voice is this?" Kate asked.

"Help! The Shadows are taking me!" The man at the stone (Who was Bakura) cried.

He then turned into sand and disappeared, his cloak falling empty to the ground.

The voice of Bakura laughed. "It's time you learned the true nature of this Shadow Game!"

"Explain yourself!" Yami demanded.

Just then, Shada showed up, clinging weakly to the wall. "You must stop Aknadin!" He warned everyone.

* * *

Yugi ran through the palace and stopped by a wall covered with hieroglyphics. "The Pharaoh's name might be carved somewhere on this wall. Of course, it would help if I could actually read ancient hieroglyphics." He muttered to himself, frustrated.

He ran on.

* * *

Joey walked through the marketplace/kitchen.

"Hey, excuse me, lady?" He asked, trying to stop a young woman to ask her a question, but she walked right through him and he freaked out again.

"That's NOT cool!" He cried. "These people treat me like I don't exist!"

* * *

Anzu and Kanya found the palace library. "I think I may have it the jackpot." Anzu said and reached for one of the stacks of writing…but her hand passed right through it.

Sighing, she sunk to her knees in frustration. "We'll never find that name." She groaned.

* * *

Bobasa, on the other hand, found some baskets of fruit and vegetables. He was happily eating everything he could stuff in his mouth.

* * *

Honda walked through the palace hallways as Bakura's voice told him to find that name!


	82. A Traitor and the Valley of the Kings

"Be careful! Aknadin is a traitor!" Shada cried as he struggled with Aknadin. "Return the Millennium Key!"

But Aknadin threw him down. Shada was too weak from his injuries.

"Aknadin! Have you gone mad?" Shimon asked.

"I don't know who's controlling your mind, but this ends now!" Yami cried.

"A new king shall soon ride." Aknadin said.

"Hold your tongue! How dare you utter such venomous words in the presence of the great Pharaoh!" Seth snapped.

"Silent!" Aknadin demanded and cast a spell on Seth.

Everyone looked at Seth. Some sort of rainbow of light outlined him.

"He can't move!" Kay exclaimed.

"He's frozen in time." Aknadin said and cast the same spell on everyone else. "That will hold you long enough for me to complete what Bakura couldn't." He laughed. "I've done it! As soon as I place the remaining Millennium Items in the Stone, the Dark One shall rise, and the Pharaoh's empire will crumble!"

Aknadin walked over and took the Rod from Seth's frozen hand, and the Necklace from Isis's neck. "I'll return the Millennium Items from whence they came." He said and looked at Yami. "You are not qualified to be Pharaoh."

He turned to the Millennium Stone. "And now! The final piece! My Millennium Eye!" He cried.

Everyone watched in horror as Aknadin ripped the Millennium Eye from his own face.

"Now, return the Items to their resting place." The voice of Bakura said to Aknadin.

"Bakura was defeated…so how can I be hearing his voice?" Yami wondered.

"You've proven to be a worthy pawn. The ultimate Shadow Game is nearly complete!" Bakura's voice said.

Aknadin kneeled on the Stone, placing the Items in their slots.

"I saw Bakura disappear into the Shadows with my own eyes! This Shadow Game should be over...unless…" Yami said to himself.

Aknadin placed the final Item into the Stone, and the entire cavern became engulfed in light.

"Is this all just a game?" Yami wondered.

Light shined from the village, which was now seen to be a part of a playing field, enclosed in a table, suspended in space with the Millennium Puzzle hanging overhead.

Yami struggled himself awake and he was seated at one end of the tablet, while Bakura sat on the other end.

But this time, they weren't in their Ancient Egyptian forms. They were in their present day forms!

"You're sleeping through the most important game of your life." Bakura said.

"Where are we?" Yami asked.

"We're in the Shadow Realm, of course, sitting before the playing field." Bakura replied. "I promised you a Shadow Game, didn't I?"

"I'm in no mood for games!" Yami said, frowning.

"It's too late. You're already right in the middle of one. The field is ancient Egypt, and the pawns are the people of your past." Bakura said.

"Everything we do affects the events of the past? You've sunk even lower than I thought. Manipulating people's lives just to play out some twisted game!" Yami growled.

"It's not some game, it's THE game. As soon as I resurrect Zorc from the Stone, the final stage of this game will begin." Bakura said. "My soul has been sealed into the Millennium Stone. I'll be revived as Zorc."

"If I don't defeat Zorc, does that mean I lose the game?" Yami asked.

"You'll lost much more than that. You'll lose your friends. They entered a world where they didn't belong, so when they playing field disappears, they'll be trapped in the Shadows. You will never see them again." Bakura said.

Yami pounded his fists angrily against the tablet. "YOU-" Bakura cut him off.

"If you want to see your friends again, you'll have to win the game. But at the moment, all of your pawns are frozen in time, thanks to my hourglass token. As the game master, I have three of them. And one freezes time for every character in the game except for my characters." Bakura said. "But it's not the first time I've manipulated time."

Bakura pointed another hourglass token.

"I used this one earlier in the game to reverse time." He said.

Yami remembered.

"So that was YOUR doing!" He cried.

"Thanks to these hourglasses, I can rewrite history three times over the course of the game. Which means your life in under my control!" Bakura said.

* * *

Kanya and Anzu stood frozen in the library while Yugi was frozen in the hallway.

"Bakura must be behind this…I hope the Pharaoh, Kate, Cat and Kay are alright." He said to himself.

Joey stood frozen with a young woman passing through him. The woman was frozen as well so she was stuck halfway through him.

"Well…I can think of worse situations to be stuck in." He said to himself uneasily.

* * *

Honda…was free to move…because he was Bakura's pawn now.

He watched Bobasa, who continued to gulp down handsful of food.

"I don't understand why Bobasa is unaffected." He muttered to himself.

Bobasa looked down sadly. "My belly is so big…I can't see my slippers." He said.

* * *

Aknadin stood upon the Millennium Stone.

"Zorc! I offer to you these seven treasures!" He called out.

Everyone could only watch, frozen.

"I can sense the pulse of pure evil beating below us." Isis said. "The Dark One has awakened!"

The shadowy form of the Dark one rose over the stone.  
"Denounce your allegiance to Egypt and pledge loyalty to me." The shadow said. "If you do this, everything you desire will be yours."

"My only desire is for a new Pharaoh to be named! My own beloved son…Seth!" Aknadin said.

Seth's eyes grew. "It can't be true! Master Aknadin is my father?" He cried.

"Your transformation from sacred priest to Lord of Darkness is now complete." The shadow said and sent a blast of energy toward Aknadin.

Aknadin screamed as he started to be transformed.

Once the transformation was complete, he turned to everyone, now a masked creature with shocks of red hair, robed in dark purple.

"My Aknadin game piece has just doubled in overall strength. He is now the Great Shadow Magus. The Priest of Darkness." Bakura said, sitting at the playing field.

"What have you done to Aknadin?" Yami asked.

"I haven't done a thing. All these events are reoccurring exactly as they did three thousand years ago, with some small modifications. Thanks to this Shadow Game, I'm able to influence certain events. In the old days, you may have managed to lock away his own spirit in order to seal Zorc away. But you won't be so lucky this time. There are still some holes in your memory. You don't even know your own name! A single word with the power to resurrect Zorc, AND lock him away." Bakura said and brought out another hourglass token onto the table. "But I've discovered a way to bring back Zorc without your name…by using my third and final hourglass."

"What are you saying?!" Yami demanded.

"When the final grain of sand falls, the ruler of the darkest Shadows shall arise!" Bakura said.

* * *

Honda entered a hall with huge portraits of all the Pharaohs, each with a tablet of hieroglyphics at its feet.

"The Pharaoh's name should be located in this room. You must find it before the others do and destroy it!" Bakura's voice said to him.

Honda walked along the hall. "Every Pharaoh in history must be here…so the name I'm looking for must be written on the last tablet." He said to himself.

He stopped at the end of the hall, only to find that the last tablet was blank!

"This doesn't make any sense!" He protested.

* * *

"Banish the Pharaoh to the darkness so that your son may take the throne!" The shadow Zorc said to Magus. (Aknadin)

Magus laughed. "This is what I always wanted for you, Seth. Ever since you were a young boy!" He said.

"How could he leave me, and then lie to me all these years?" Seth wondered.

"There's something else you should know." Magus said to Seth. "The former King Aknamkanon was my brother! Therefore, if anything should happen to the current Pharaoh, you're next in line to inherit the throne!"

"Why, after all these years of loyalty, would he turn on his own family?" Shimon wondered. "Bakura must have preyed upon the hidden jealousy Aknadin always felt towards his brother, and the incredible guilt he must have harbored after giving up his family."

"We will no longer live in the shadow of my brother!" Magus said to Seth. "We shall rise up and claim our rightful place on the throne of Egypt!" He rose a great power. "The era of King Seth has begun!"

Magus then sent the attack towards Yami, who was still frozen.

But suddenly…Hasan emerged from his sanctuary and flew to the rescue, coming to strand in front of Yami, deflecting the attack.

"What?! This isn't part of the game!" Bakura cried, sitting at the playing field.

Yami laughed. "Have you forgot that there were two people playing this game?" He asked and held up a small figure of Hasan. "I have a token too."

"Where did you get that?!" Bakura demanded.

"Who stands in the way of my destiny?!" Magus demanded.

"I am Hasan, protect of the Pharaohs. For centuries, I have defended the honor of Egypt's kings." Hasan answered and then looked at Yami. "Fear not, for I will shield you from the darkness, just as I did for your father, and his father before."

Yami remembered him from the cave, giving him the warning about Zorc…but he thought he was just hallucination!

"If you are truly the protector of the Pharaohs, you should be protecting Seth, the true king of Egypt." Magus said.

"Darkness begone!" Hasan commanded and Magus's attack became broken.

"NO!" Bakura screamed as shards of the attack fell upon the playing field, one of them striking his time-freezing hourglass, causing it to break.

"My friends are now free." Yami said.

"I rendered you powerless!" Magus cried, as everyone became unfrozen again.

"Not anymore." Hasan said. "The Shadow Spell has been broken."

"It's only a matter of time before the Shadows claim your spirit and everything! And everything you care about crumbles! Your poor friends are running out of stream." Bakura said.

"How?" Yami asked.

"Attached to everyone's Duel Disks is a sensor that measures life energy. My Great Shadow Magus is at full power, but the same cannot be said for your friends." Bakura said.

The glowing meters on their Diadiankhs are all less than half-full.

"Once someone's life force sensor goes dark, their spirit is banished to the Shadow Realm. That goes for you too. When you lose in the past, you lose here as well." Bakura said. "Do you understand the brilliance of the game I've created?"

"This must end!" Yami cried.

"Of course. Every game has an end. It's just a question of who the victor will be, and who will spend an eternity roaming the Shadow Realm." Bakura said. "Here, we sit high above the rest of the world, deciding the future of mankind. The fate of the world rests in our hands!"

"You may fight for greed, but I fight for the safety of my friends and the world!" Yami said. "I defeated you once, and I'll do it again."

"That's all in the past. In this Shadow Game, I have all sorts of advantages I didn't have the first time. And you will never remember how you won." Bakura said.

"I still have time!" Yami said.

"The countdown to destruction has already begun." Bakura said with his hand on the hourglass.

The sands fell through the hourglass.

"Seth! Obey your destiny and stand by my side, so that we may rule Egypt as father and son!" Magus said.

"I'm not your "son"! My father would never betray the Pharaoh like this!" Seth said and stood by Yami's side. "Magus lies and I won't join him."

Magus pointed at Yami. "That impostor is no Pharaoh! It is you who should be king!" He said.

"I vowed to protect the king, not replace him!" Seth snapped.

"But you deserve more." Magus said.

Hasan turned to Seth. "It's true that you're the son of Aknadin. However, Aknadin has lost his identity to the Shadows, and the creature that stands before us is no longer your father."

"Hasan is right." Yami agreed.

"That's nonsense!" Magus said. "Seth is my flesh and blood! And that makes him royalty! Seth! Don't let these fools deny you of the power you deserve!"

Kay jumped in. "Seth! Don't listen to him! I don't believe that's your father anymore…you two look nothing alike. If you WERE related to this monster, I would have to question what you would look like." She said with giving Magus a sarcastic grin.

Magus steamed a little.

* * *

Kaiba walked down the stairs to the cavern where the stone tablets were kept, passing Bakura who was lying the steps.

"What happened here?" He asked, Bakura. "I guess our rematch will have to wait."

Kaiba continued on, leaving Bakura.

When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs, he was surprised to see Yugi, Joey, Cat, Kay, Honda, Kanya, Kate and Anzu lying, unconscious on the ground.

"I'm guessing they didn't fly all the way to Egypt just to take a nap." He mummered, kneeling by Yugi and then looked up, spotting the stone tablet with the Pharaoh and sorcerer carved on it.

"I've seen this before." He said, standing up again. "In the museum back home."

All of the sudden, the Millennium Eye in his hand started to glow before emitting a beam of light that illuminated the stone.

Images of Yami and everyone else and Magus appeared on the stone.

Kaiba spotted Seth.

"That's…that's me!" He exclaimed.

* * *

"Seth, your father chose a path of hatred and greed, but I beg you not to make the same mistake." Yami said to Seth. "Fight by my side, and together, we can restore peace to Egypt."

"I've heard the same words uttered by my brother when he was Pharaoh! My brother didn't understand the first thing about leading this kingdom! In fact, his idealistic approach nearly destroyed Egypt!" Magus said.

Everyone bowed to Pharaoh Aknamkanon as his brother; Aknadin stood behind him on the balcony of the palace.

"While the people worshipped their Pharaoh, it was I who was truly responsible for their safety." Magus said.

* * *

_"Our enemies draw near." Aknadin said._

_Aknamkanon sat on the throne. "Egypt will only fight as a last resort." He said._

_"I've already moved the soldiers into position to attack! It's the only way to prevent invasion!" Aknadin protested. "If we don't act now, we'll be destroyed!"_

_"You've overstepped your bounds." Aknamkanon said._

_Aknadin acquiesces, bowing to the Pharaoh._

_"I want what's best for Egypt, but I won't accept violence as the only answer. We must try to find a peaceful solution." Aknamkanon said._

_"Y-Yes…" Aknadin said hesitantly._

_"I believe we'll live in harmony one day, and I need you the share that belief with me." Aknamkanon said._

* * *

"I was right. Our enemies didn't share my brother's belied in peace." Magus continued. "Thanks to me, when our enemies attacked, we were ready. Of course, his majesty received all the credit, while I was ignored. It was then I realized that my brother would be the light, while I would be the shadow. If Egypt was going to survive, drastic measures would be necessary."

* * *

_Aknadin and his men, cloaked and carrying torches, met before an underground cavern at night._

* * *

"Hidden deep beneath the sands laid an ancient manuscript with a dark secret." Magus said.

_Aknadin picked up the book._

"This, Millennium Spellbook contained the secret to a power known only by the Egyptian gods." Magus continued. "If it hadn't been for me, the Millennium Items wouldn't exist."

"And neither would this mess!" Shimon added. "The Millennium Items may have helped us stop one enemy, but their creation gave rise to an even greater enemy!"

"Correct. We sparked the rebirth of Zorc the Dark One." Hasan agreed.

"Exactly! And now Zorc can finish what Aknadin began! By crushing the Pharaoh and his followers, and allowing a new king to take the throne!" Magus said. "You'll never understand what I've been through. I devoted my life to my brother and received nothing in return!"

"You're wrong! But you're too blind to see it!" Shimon said.

Yami agreed.

"I gave up my wife and my only son, just so I could save my brother's kingdom!" Magus cried. "Even though I abandoned my son, Seth found his way back to me! It was Seth's destiny to reenter the palace and rise to greatness!"

"When I joined the Priests, I pledged my devotion to the Pharaoh. And the one person who was always there to guide me was Aknadin." Seth said.

_Aknadin encouraged Seth to study in the library and then taught him sword fighting in the courtyard._

"There was four other priests in the Pharaoh's court, but Aknadin spent most of his time training me. And now I know why." Seth said. "Secretly Aknadin knew I was his son."

"You were destined for greatness from the day you were born. That's why your path keeps crossing with that of the White Dragon." Magus said. "You were chosen to wield its power."

Suddenly, Seth's eyes started to glow, becoming under Magus's control.

"I should rule…and the White Dragon will help me." He said.

Kaiba watched his counterpart in the stone tablet. His fists clenched.  
"The White Dragon? The Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Oh great…I'm hallucinating again!" He grumbled.

"Stop lying to your son and set him free!" Yami snapped at Magus and turned to Seth. "You mustn't give in to this temptation!"

Magus then sent a blast of power in between Yami and Seth, separating them.

Seth turned to Magus. "Tell me the truth! Why are you really doing this?!" He demanded.

"I want you to experience what I never had. Power and respect. And when Zorc arrives, that's exactly what you will receive. Zorc will usher in the Age of Shadows, and someone will need to reign over this new world." Magus replied.

Seth's eyes began to glow again. "I…I will reign." He said.

"SETH!" Yami called but Seth stepped forward. "I must…join my father." He said.

* * *

Kisara awakened and sat up in bet. "Seth! You must not do this!" She cried.

* * *

Seth continued to walk to his father until the White Dragon suddenly rose before him. Seth stopped.

"SETH DON'T DO IT!" Kay cried as she ran up to Seth and slapped him, breaking the spell. "Please, Snap out of it!"

Seth blinked in surprise.

"Seth…the White Dragon is urging you to join me." Magus said.

"Seth don't go! Your father is under the control of an evil force, and if you join him, you'll lose yourself to the shadows as well!" Kay cried.

Everyone else also urged Seth to stay and help them.

"The others are lying to you. The Pharaoh is threatened by your power, and is trying to keep you down." Magus said.

"The Pharaoh is protecting Seth, just as your brother protected you!" Hasan said.

"My brother took all the glory and left me to wallow in the shadows! And now my brother's son shall pay!" Magus said and shot an attack at Yami, who threw up his arms to protect himself.

"You're weak, Pharaoh! Just like your father!" Magus said.

Hasan jumped in front of Yami to block the attack. "As long as I'm here, no harm will befall the Pharaoh!" He said.

Seth looked on in surprise.

* * *

Kisara ran through the hallways of the palace, calling for Seth.  
She stopped for a moment. "I hope I'm not too late." She said.

Honda watched from around a corner, smiling evilly to himself.  
"Keep on running, girl. Soon you'll join forces with Seth on the other side." He said, Bakura talking through him.

Bobasa sat dejectedly in the empty storage room.

"I wish I had just one more luscious apple…or even the teeniest little grape!" He whined.

Honda came up from behind him.

"Who is Bobasa character? I must find out what role he plays in this Shadow Game." He said to himself quietly.

"Hey Bobasa? Were you able to find the Pharaoh's name?" Honda asked.

Bobasa remained silent.

Annoyed, Honda rapped Bobasa on the head with his knuckles. "Knock, knock!" He said.

"Who's there?" Bobasa said before he continued to weep with hunger.

"Tell me!" Honda snapped exasperated and hit Bobasa again. "And stop crying!"  
But Bobasa only cried harder.

"This isn't the best time for jokes." Joey said as he walked up with Yugi, Kanya and Anzu.

"I was only trying to cheer him up." Honda said.

"You're not doing a very good job. Why is Bobasa crying?" Joey asked.

"I dunno." Honda replied innocently.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked Bobasa.

"There's not a scrap of food left!" Bobasa cried.

Joey, Yugi, Kanya and Anzu sunk to the floor.

"Why does it feels like we haven't eaten in days?" Joey asked.

"Because we haven't." Anzu answered.

"This must be where they store all the food for the palace, but there's nothing left." Yugi said.

"Bobasa cleaned the place out!"

"Bobasa didn't even leave us a crumb!" Joey complained, but Bobasa only continued to cry.

"Bobasa's done nothing but hold us back. It's time we lost him." Honda said.

"Honda might have a point." Joey said.

"Wait. Let's stop and think about this for a moment. We've already searched the while palace for the Pharaoh's name…" Yugi said.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here." Honda said.

"Pull yourself together!" Anzu told Bobasa.

"But I can't move another muscle until I eat another morsel!" Bobasa complained.

"You've already eaten all there is to eat!" Joey snapped.

"C'mon! Let's just leave him behind!" Honda said again.

"But we need to help him." Yugi said.

"What has Bobasa ever done for us?" Honda asked.

"He helped us find the Pharaoh." Yugi pointed out.

"Yeah…we should go find him some food." Kanya agreed.

Yugi, Kanya, Joey and Anzu began searching for food while Honda waited impatiently.

"Why would these fools drop everything to help that useless oaf?" Bakura wondered through Honda.

Later, Yugi came out onto a balcony and called for the others.

Everyone then got together to push and pull Bobasa out into the courtyard, where a bunch of grapes were growing on a tree.

Happily, Bobasa leapt for them, then turned. "Thank you everyone!" He said.

Everyone sat on the ground, exhausted from moving Bobasa.

"We've finally found someone who loves food more than I do." Joey said.

Yugi laughed. "That's hard to believe." He said.

Bobasa finished eating the grapes.

"Feel better now?" Yugi asked.

Bobasa suddenly inflated into a big round balloon!

"Now that I'm full, I can grant your wish! Get onto my back and we'll go find the Pharaoh's name!" He said.

Joey, Kanya and Anzu looked a bit reluctant.

"We have to trust Bobasa. It's our only hope." Yugi said and everyone climbed onto Bobasa's back.

Bobasa then floated away out of the palace with them.

"Where are you taking us?" Yugi asked.

"This way." Was all Bobasa said.

"A little more specific answer would be nice." Joey said.

Honda smiled to himself.

"I'm beginning to understand Bobasa's role in the game. He was placed there as a shortcut-feed him and skip to the prize." Bakura said to himself through Honda.

Bakura's men waited on a cliff, overlooking the city. They spotted Bobasa and started to follow.

"Passengers, we're approaching the Valley of the Kings! Thanks for flying Air Bobasa!" Bobasa said and started to randomly sing about his name.

"Bo is for Bordeaux wine. "Ba" is for bar and grill…"

"Bobasa seems very happy." Yugi said.

"What about "Sa"? What's "Sa" for?" Joey wondered.

Bobasa continued to sing for a moment.

"It's over there." He said.

"I remember that the Valley of the Kings is where the Pharaoh's tomb is. In the old days, a Pharaoh's tomb was built while he was still alive, so the Pharaoh's name must have already been carved on his future tomb!" Yugi said to himself.

Bobasa hovered to the ground and Honda jumped off, running to the opening of the tomb.

He was planning to destroy the name before the others could see it.

"Thank you Bobasa." Yugi said as Bobasa deflated and settled back onto the ground.

"Thank YOU and everyone for feeding me those grapes. Since then, I haven't been hungry at all." He said.

"You know…now that you mention it, I'm not hungry either." Anzu said.

"You're right." Yugi said.

"Yeah." Kanya agreed.

"I think I could still use a bite." Joey said.

"It's been one mystery after another since we got here." Yugi said.

"Bobasa is the biggest mystery." Joey said.

"I finally know why I was put here! For you guys! Life is like a game, and sometimes helping others is the key to winning it all!" Bobasa said.

"What does that mean?" Joey asked.

Bobasa only started singing his song again. "Sa…is for Sayonara!" He sang and then disappeared in a sparkle of gold.

"Wait! Come back!" They cried…but he was gone.


	83. Separated

"Your friends are doing much better than I expected!" Bakura laughed. "In fact, they're close to uncovering your ancient name."

"How do you know that? You've been spying on them, haven't you?" Yami asked.

"Of course not. But it doesn't matter. The countdown is on, and the resurrection of Zorc is near." Bakura said. "It's time to add another little twist to the game. The sides are uneven, but I'm about to change that. I'll use a tactic I learned earlier from you. Remember when the Pharaoh was drained of energy, but Yugi gave him a boost? Two can play at that game. I'm going to bring back a former pawn of mine. But first, I'll need to barrow some strength from outside."

"Kaiba! Come and join us!"

"What?! You can't pull him into this too!" Yami protested.

* * *

Kaiba found himself drawn into the stone tablet. He flew through a vortex and into ancient Egypt.

Kaiba approached the ancient city, astonished.

"This place seems familiar. But I'm not sure why." He said.

Bakura looked down on the playing field.

"He'll find out…when I barrow his soul!" He said.

And with that, a piece of Kaiba's soul flew out of him.

* * *

"I must join my father now." Seth said, under the spell again.

Magus was still trying to attack the Pharaoh.

But suddenly, Kaiba's energy/soul blasted into the middle of the cavern, stopping the attack from Magus.

A whirlwind of sand formed and turned into Thief Bakura.

He laughed.

"It's good to be back in the game, again! And it looks like I'm just in time to observe the finale, featuring Zorc the Dark One's long-awaited return, and the Pharaoh's farewell performance!" He cried. "We have some catching up to do."

"But we destroyed you!" Shada cried.

"Bakura regenerated himself." Shimon said.

"But how?" Yami asked.

Bakura turned to look at Magus.

"Someone couldn't handle the competition, so I had to step in and correct that." He said.

"What?! I could handle them by myself!" Magus protested.

Bakura ignored his words and walked over to join Magus and on the Millennium Stone.

"You were close to being defeated. Let me focus on the Pharaoh. You have other things to do…like convincing your son to pledge his allegiance to Zorc the Dark One!" He said.

"Seth! Don't listen to Bakura!" Shimon cried.

"When the Age of Shadows is ushered in, a new king will be needed to rule the darkness…someone like Seth!" Bakura said.

* * *

Kisara continued to run from the palace and stopped in the marketplace, looking around.

"Where is he?" She wondered.

She paused when she heard a strange laughed, but didn't see anyone.  
"SETH!" She called.

* * *

"You've been chosen to wield a power that rivals that of the Egyptian gods." Bakura said to Seth.

"What are you talking about?" Yami asked.

"Your feeling threatened by the idea of being replaced by someone more qualified. Someone who controls the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Bakura taunted Yami.

"Kisara?" Seth and Kay mummered.

"He means that young girl!" Shada cried.

"You knew about this?" Yami asked Shada.

"Recently, me and Seth happened upon a peasant girl who held a power like none I've ever seen." Shada explained.

"The fact that Zorc is about to resurrect at any moment still remains! And there's nothing you can do to stop it! Now we must see if Seth's is smart enough to join the winning side before the game is over." Bakura said.

Magus stepped off the Millennium Stone and approached Seth.

"Listen to reason. If you side with the Pharaoh, you'll be throwing away your future. You were born to be a leader." He said.

"Y-Yes…" Seth said.

Kay stood in front of Seth. "Don't do this!" She cried.

"You have bigger things to worry about." Bakura said to her, activating his Diadiankh, summoning Diabound. "Diabound! Strike down the Pharaoh!"

Diabound attacked and Hasan leapt in front of Yami to protect him.

"This can't be! Diabound's stone tablet has already been destroyed!" Shada cried.

"Now I have all seven Millennium Items, I no longer need a tablet to summon Diabound." Bakura explained. "With the power of the Items coursing through it, it's stronger than ever."

Magus stood before Seth. "See your destiny. You shall be king." He said to Seth, still trying to convince him.

Kay continued to stand in front of Seth, glaring at Magus.

"Don't listen to him!" She said.

"Khephera's right. You're one of the seven priests! Don't you remember that vow you took?" Shada reminded Seth.

"If you accept the dark power of the Shadows, you'll be making the same mistake your father made." Yami said.

"Wake up! You're being controlled!" Kay cried.

Seth looked up, startled.

"I've had enough of your meddling!" Magus cried and created a portal. He reached out and grabbed Seth and threw him into the portal.

But before he came into the portal, Kay grabbed onto him and was carried with him through the portal.

Magus jumped into the portal after them.

"Kay-chan! Seth!" Cat and Kate cried.

Yami tried to follow them, but Diabound blocked his path before he could reach the portal and it closed.

He turned to Bakura.

"What did you do with them?!" He asked angrily.

"The same thing I'm about to do with the Millennium Stone. Get it out of your reach!" Bakura answered and he snapped his fingers.

The stone then began to sink down into the floor, taking the Millennium Items with it.

"Now what?" Yami asked.

"Our game is at a standstill. So we'll wait for Zorc to arrive, so I can win. In the meantime, I've decided to have a little fun with the game pieces. I'll destroy the guardians one at a time. Including your little friends." Bakura answered.

Diabound spewed out a stream of darkness, which descended over the cavern as everyone else watched in horror.

"We're going to play a game of hide and seek." Bakura said with a grin.

* * *

Kaiba woke up in an alley and stood up.

"I just had the strangest dream." He mummered and stepped out of the alley. He gasped as he looked around, realizing he was in the ancient Egyptian Marketplace.

"Maybe…it wasn't a dream." He said. "I remember being sucked into the stone tablet, and finding myself in ancient Egypt…then passing out."

Kaiba walked through the marketplace. "I got knocked out and woke up in some oddball town that hasn't changed in three thousand years." He said and stopped as two kids ran towards him.

He became shocked when the two kids ran through him.

"What's happening?" He asked as he continued down the street. "It's as if…I don't exist here."

He stopped again when he heard someone shout, "SETH!" He looked over and saw Kisara running towards him.

She stopped and stood in front of him. "Wait…oh, I'm sorry. You're not Seth. Although you look like him." She said.

Kaiba noted to himself that she looked really familiar.

"You're…Kisara?" He asked.

"Who are you? And why are you dressed so strangely?" Kisara asked.

"Well…first I want to know where I am…and why are you the only one that can see me?" Kaiba asked.

"An evil force is threatening our land, and we must act quickly or everything will be lost." Kisara said.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" Kaiba asked.

"You can believe what you want, but the darkness is coming and I have to warn Seth." Kisara said. "Farewell."  
And with that, she ran on.

* * *

"What did you do with my friends?" Yami asked.

"I bought some time." Bakura said.

A viewscreen appeared on top of the RPG table. It showed Mana standing in the deserted village with Kate, calling out to the others.

The vision changed to Shada and Shimon, wondering where they were.

Then it changed to Isis and Karim.

"That's cheating!" Yami protested.

"I make the rules in this game, and this is the part where we wait for Zorc to resurrect and you watch your friends squirm." Bakura said.

"I won't let you win!" Yami said.

"I already have." Bakura said.

Mana wondered with Kate in the deserted village. "How did we get here?" Mana asked. "And where is everyone else?"

"I wish I knew." Kate said.

Then suddenly, a shadow passed over them and a building collapsed behind them.

They heard the growling of some sort of beast.

* * *

Yugi and everyone stood before the entrance to the Pharaoh's tomb.

"According to Bobasa, the Pharaoh's name is hidden somewhere in there." Anzu said.

"So let's go!" Joey said, determined.

"Pharaoh…we won't let you down." Yugi said and the four entered the tomb.

* * *

Yami stood with Hasan, and Cat.

Mahado joined them.

"I've seen no sign of the others." He said.

"They can't be too far." Cat said.

"Separating us must be all part of Bakura's plan to stall for time." Mahado said.

Yami nodded. "But Bakura must be doing more than waiting." He said. "I suspect Bakura is planning to weaken our defenses, so when Zorc arrives, he'll be unstoppable."

* * *

They all paused when they spotted a shadowy cloud rise over the nearby buildings.

"It's Egypt's most feared predator." Hasan said.

* * *

Mana and Kate were facing the same thing.

It was a vicious-looking beast, the Skeleton Fiend.

Karim regained consciousness. "Where are we, Isis?" He asked. "You must make sure that the Pharaoh is alright."

"I won't leave you." Isis said.

"I have bearly enough energy to summon a monster. I'm of no use to her, and it's your duty to protect the king." Karim said.

Isis was about to say something else, but suddenly turned to find a monster.

It was Giant Axe Mummy, standing behind them.

* * *

Bakura stood on top of one of the buildings and laughed.

He then sent a swarm of locusts to attack Yami.

Mahado attempted to fight them off, but there was too many!

Hasan threw his cloak around Yami and Cat to protect them as Mahado continued to fight the swarm.

"One by one, your game pieces are being crushed." Bakura said to Yami.

Yami frowned.

"I'm running out of time." He mummered to himself. "As Bakura's hourglass counts down to the destruction of Egypt, the Pharaoh's priests are growing weaker. Before long, Bakura will have succeeded in rewriting history."

"If only you knew a little more about your past, you might remember how you beat me the first time. But you erased your memory, giving me the chance to destroy you." Bakura said.

Yami could only watch helplessly as the Skeleton Fiend attacked Mana and Kate.

Mana summoned the Dark Magician Girl to help them.

"She's just wasting her time. The priests are even more pathetic now that they've been separated from each other. The only question is, who will lose their souls first?" Bakura said.

* * *

A lizard monster attacked Shada. But he summoned Two-Headed Jackal Warrior to defend him.

The lizard monster was destroyed.

"Well done, Shada!" Shimon said.

"Thank you. But I'm afraid we're not the only ones under attack." Shada said.

"You're right. We should go find the Pharaoh." Shimon said.

Bakura laughed. "Your pawns don't know when to quit." He said.

"They're my friends! Not my pawns." Yami protested.

"But you don't remember the first thing about most of these people. And yet you still, somehow, call them friends?" Bakura laughed. "My advice to you is you should let them go."

"You wouldn't understand! You've never had a friend in your life! Even though I don't remember most of them, there's a bond between us that's lasted three thousand years!" Yami said.

* * *

The Giant Axe Mummy destroyed Isis's Spiria and Isis fell to the ground, where she could only watch helplessly as the Axe Mummy approached her.

But just before the Mummy attacked her, Two-Headed Jackal Warrior attacked it.

Shada and Shimon ran over to join Isis and Karim. Karim was resting in a ruined stable.

"Who's guarding the Pharaoh?" Karim asked.

"We'll find him." Shada said.

"Shada…take what's left of my power." Karim said.

"Karim! Don't! You know what'll happen if you do!" Isis protested.

"Before I enter the Shadow Realm…I want the Pharaoh to have my strength." Karim said.

Shada nodded.

Him and Karim them grasped hands and Karim transferred his strength to Shada.

The power boost also caused Two-Headed Jackal Warrior to grow in strength.

It then destroyed the Giant Axe Mummy.

Just then, Yami, Cat, Mana, Kate, Mahado and Hasan ran up to join them.

"Pharaoh…I know you'll defeat Bakura…and the darkness will be no more." Karim said to Yami as he kneeled down next to Karim.

Yami nodded to him. "Yes…" He said.

"Good luck…to you all. And farewell." Karim said.

Isis took Karim in her arms and cried as Yami got back on his feet.

Cat looked down at Karim sadly. "He's…dead isn't he?" She asked.

Kate nodded slowly.


	84. Sealed White Dragon

"I've seen enough!" Yami said and ran from the stable, getting onto his horse. "It's time to end this madness."

Cat quickly followed and jumped on with him.

Yami looked back at her and opened his mouth to protest, but Cat covered his mouth.  
"I know what you're going to say. I'm going with you to help. And besides…we gotta find Seth and Kay-chan. They're my friends too." She said with a hint of stern in her voice.

Yami raised an eyebrow, curiously as Cat removed his hand.  
"You're being unusually assertive." He pointed out.

Cat's expression softened a little.

"I'm sorry. But…to be honest, I'm a little scared. I'm trying to cover it too thickly. But I'm not letting fear stop me now." She said.

"And I don't suppose I can stop you either." Yami said with a small smile. "Hasan! Stay here and protect the others while we go to find Seth and Kay…er…Khephera! I won't let anyone else die."

"Be careful." Hasan said as Yami and Cat rode off.

* * *

Kanya ran her hand over the wall in the Pharaoh's tomb.

"Check it out guys! We can't pass through walls here." She said.

"I'm not surprised. From what my Grandpa told me, the Pharaoh's tomb is pretty well protected." Yugi said.

"Was Grandpa here?" Joey asked.

"Did he say what was inside?" Anzu asked.

"There's only one way to find out!" Joey said without waiting for an answer and began to run ahead.

"JOEY! WAIT!" Yugi yelled after him.

Joey reached the stone serpents that spat out metal needles at unwary travelers. He stopped short as the needles hit the floor in front of his feet.

"This place is loaded with traps to keep out intruders." Yugi said.

"You could have told me that SOONER!" Joey snapped.

Kanya rolled her eyes. "Well if you ever paid attention in any of your history classes, you probably would have figured that out yourself. This IS a "Pharaoh's" tomb, you know." She said.

"Did Grandpa mention how we were supposed to get through?" Honda asked.

"Yup. I just hope I can remember everything." Yugi said.

They entered the room with the maze, protected by statues of warriors with swords.

"Anyone who enters needs to show respect. All the statues have their left foot forward as a sign of respect for the Pharaoh. So we have to as well. Follow me." Yugi explained.

Carefully, they all slid through the maze with their left foot forward and they entered the next and final room.

"What happens next?" Joey asked.

"Each of the stone tablets on the bridge has a monster inside. If the monsters sense fear, they'll attack." Yugi said.

"Did Grandpa mention a short cut?" Joey asked with an unstable look on his face.

Yugi stepped out onto the bridge.

"With the fate of the world depending on us, I don't have time to be scared." He said.

"We're right behind you!" Joey said and turned to the others. "C'mon. We need to follow Yugi across the stone bridge."

Yugi reached the other side and stood before the stone altar. "This must be where Grandpa found the Millennium Puzzle. But there's nothing here now." He said.

"Maybe the writing on the wall might have some clues." Anzu suggested.

"Egyptian is all Greek to me! Now what?" Joey cried.

"I'm not sure. Maybe there's another room that even Grandpa couldn't find." Yugi said.

"Well, good luck finding it!" Joey said and leaned against a pillar.

Once he did that, it activated a secret entrance to a room behind the room.

"We found it!" Kanya cried happily.

Honda smiled to himself. "These fools will never see what's inside." He said to himself.

Everyone watched as the door at the back of the tomb rose.

"What the heck could be in there?" Joey wondered.

"I hope the Pharaoh's name." Yugi said.

Honda ran past them into the secret room.

"Honda wait! That room could be full of traps!" Yugi called after him as everyone followed.

Honda stopped and everyone stopped behind him.

"What? The room is empty?" Kanya asked.

"Grandpa said that tombs are not always what they appear to be." Yugi said.

"Then what are they?!" Joey asked, stepping forward.

"Sometimes you have to look beyond the obvious." Anzu said.

"I found a clue. We're standing on it." Honda said, looking down.

Everyone looked down to see a design painted on the floor; a row of drawings, with an inscription in the center and a large eye on either end.

"You're right." Anzu said.

"But it's written in chicken scratch!" Joey cried.

"He who solves the Millennium Puzzle must return the wish he was granted. Only then is he able to pass." Honda read.

"'Ey! Since when could you read hieroglyphics, Honda?" Joey asked.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Honda rudely replied and then kneeled down in front of Yugi. "If you expect to save the Pharaoh, you'd better give back whatever it is the Puzzle gave you."

"That doesn't make any sense! The wish that was granted to me by the Puzzle can never be given back! It's impossible!" Yugi exclaimed.

* * *

Seth and Kay woke up to find themselves lying on the ground in a strange place. Seth sat up.  
"Where are we?" He asked.

"You are with me, where you belong." Magus replied, standing near him. "Rise, my son. The new Pharaoh deserves the power of a new Egyptian god!"

Seth and Kay stood up and discovered that they were standing on a rooftop in the middle of the desert!

"A messenger came bearing a gift. Only after you have accepted her offering can you serve as the new King of Egypt." Magus said.

"What are you talking about?!" Kay demanded.

There was a pause and Seth and Kay looked in the direction that Magus was looking in.

They gasped.

Across the sands, Kisara ran towards them.

"Kisara!" Kay and Seth cried.

"She holds the key to the throne. You must take it form her, Seth." Magus said.

Kisara reached the building and Seth and Kay came down the steps to greet her.

"I knew I'd find you!" She panted.

"It isn't safe for you to be here." Seth said.

"You saved my life the night my village was destroyed, and now it's my turn to save you." Kisara said.

Unknown to everyone, Kaiba approached, hiding behind a pillar to observe.

Shadow Magus laughed.

"Don't be fooled by her innocence! She wields a mighty creature! Take it!" He said.

"Don't listen to him!" Kay said.

The ground beneath them suddenly began to shake.

"You must act swiftly and seize the White Dragon." Magus said.

"I'm not your son! My father left me when he pledge his loyalty to the Shadows!" Seth snapped at Magus.

The three were about to leave, but Magus raised his hand and created barriers of stone to rise up from the sand before them.

Seth then activated his Diadiankh and summoned Duos to slash the stones with his sword, knocking them away.

Seth, Kay and Kisara started to run again, but Magus leapt from the roof and landed in front of them.

"You're no match for me, Seth." Magus said.

"Is that so?" Seth asked and Duos came up.

Magus summoned a huge purple monster; its body rippling as if it was made of flames and an image of the Millennium Eye formed in the flame beast's face.

"Kisara! Surrender your power to my son!" Magus commanded.

Kisara frowned and closed her eyes, and the White Dragon appeared.

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Kaiba cried, still hiding behind the pillar.

* * *

Yami and Cat continued to ride through the desert. Through most of the trip, both were silent, deep in their own thoughts.

"Cat." Yami said, cutting the silence.

"Yes?" Cat asked, snapping out of her own thoughts.

"You said you were a little scared, right?" Yami asked.

"Yeah." Cat said with a nod. "What about it?"

"Tell me everything you're afraid of. Everything." Yami said.

Cat blinked in confusment. "Why?" She asked.

"Just tell me, please." Yami said.

Cat thought for a moment. "Well…I guess I have a lot of things I fear now. I fear for Kay-chan and Seth…I fear for our friends and I fear Zorc and Bakura. I also worry about the rest of the priests and…losing more people. So, I fear for everyone's safety. Yours too." She replied.

Yami didn't take his eyes off the desert in front of him.

"Those are your present fears?" He asked.

"Yes…but I still don't understand why you wanted to know." Cat said.

"I wanted to know…so you didn't have to deal with them alone." Yami replied.

Cat blinked and looked a little surprised.

"And now that I know those fears, I can protect you from facing them alone." Yami continued. "For as long as I've known you, I've figured you're a little frail." He chuckled and looked over at her, giving her a goofy smirk.

Cat stared at him before giving him a small joking smile.

"Well, you know I'm not as weak as I was when I first met you, you know." She said.

Yami laughed. "Yes, I know." He stopped laughing and gave her an honest smile. "You've gotten stronger. In fact…I always believed deep down you were very strong. But you just didn't know how to use it."

Cat looked a little surprised again and felt her heart jump a little when she heard that. She always believed she was weak and in the way. But hearing those words, coming from Yami, the one who always seemed like he had to save her…it almost felt like she was given a small boost of courage.

She wasn't sure how to describe the boost.

There was a pause between them. Neither knew how long it was.

Cat smiled. "Yami-kun…thank you." She said simply.

Yami returned the warm smile.

It was then, that they suddenly heard the Blue-Eyes White Dragon roar not too far off!

Cat and Yami looked in the direction of the roar.

"Was that?" Cat asked.

"I think so!" Yami replied. "Hold on Seth! Kay! We're coming!"

They continued on and Yami's focus once again returned to the road ahead.

Cat looked down and to the side slightly, thinking to herself that what Yami didn't know…that one of her biggest fears…was losing him.

* * *

The White Dragon attacked the Flame Beast, but it evaded the attack, dissolving and re-forming into the sky. It then attacked Kisara, who was then thrown to the ground.

The Flame Beast reappeared behind Magus as the White Dragon prepared for another attack.

"Not so fast!" Magus cried and created a Spellbinding Circle to trap the White Dragon.

A sealing stone rose from the sands, and the White Dragon was drawn to it.

But Kisara stood up, ready to continue the fight.

"Kisara! You mustn't do this! You no longer have the strength to fight!" Kay cried.

"I know what I'm doing. No matter what it takes, I won't allow the Magus to hurt you or Seth." Kisara replied.

"Haven't you been listening? I plan to transform Seth into the most powerful king that ever lived!" Magus said to Kisara.

"But at what cost?" Seth asked. "So I can become like you? A puppet of Zorc? Kay and Kisara made me realize something. I'd rather be a peasant in a world shining with hope, than a king in a world contaminated by darkness!"

"You're really choosing this riffraff over your own flesh and blood?!" Magus asked angrily and pulled off his mask, to reveal the shriveled face beneath. "I brought you into this world, and I have to the power to remove you!"

"The part of you that was once my father is long gone! And now I see what's left in his place! A weak old man with a heart full of darkness!" Seth snapped.

The Magus rose his hand and the Flame Beast shot a blast at Seth from its eye.

But before the attack reached Seth, Kisara jumped in front of him…taking the blow herself.

Kisara fell over and Seth caught her.

The White Dragon sunk completely into the stone, and appeared as a carving.

"Kisara!" Kay cried and kneeled next to her. "Wake up!"

"Kisara! I'm sorry." Seth said.

Kisara opened her eyes. "It's not your fault." She said weakly. "May I have a word with Khephera?"

Seth nodded and Kay held up Kisara as Seth backed away a little.

"Khephera…you've been my closest and dearest friend for as long as I could remember. And we both have been in love with Seth…But he chose you. And ever since he did, I've always hoped for you two to live happily. No matter what. I know you can help him, the Pharaoh, Luna and Ankh defeat this darkness. I know you guys can…you have the power. So please…fight for peace and please…take care of Seth." Kisara said weakly before…she died.

Kay looked down at Kisara in her arms; her face mixed with sadness and shock. She felt tears form in her eyes.

Kisara was a close friend…and she hardly even remembered her. Added to that, the fact she died protecting Seth.

The Flame Beast dissolved away and Magus approached Seth, Kay and Kisara, laughing.  
"I knew if I took aim at you, that fool would try to protect you. It was for your own good, Seth. Now we can use her power to rule the new world as father and son!" He said.

Seth walked over to Magus.

"Have you come to join me?" Magus asked.

"I'll never join you!" Seth snapped and pulled out his sword, stabbing the Magus.

"Seth…is…this your answer?" Magus asked, dying and embraced Seth. "Your flesh and blood came from me. Let me give my soul and power to you in the end. I love you from the bottom of my heart, Seth. Let my love boil in your blood and ignite a hatred for the Pharaoh. Let your soul unite with mine and become the king of darkness!"

Magus then laughed and his body then dissolved and flowed into Seth's body.

Yami and Cat rode up and went into the courtyard, getting off the horse and walking up to everyone.

"It's Yugi…and that girl!" Kaiba said, still behind the pillar.

"Seth! Kay! Are you guys alright?" Yami asked.

Cat ran over to Kay, who was still with Kisara.

"Kay-chan, are you alright? What's wrong?" She asked.

"Kisara…she died protecting Seth. For some reason, I don't remember, but apparently she and I were close friends. She was yours and Kate-chan's friend too." Kay replied sadly.

Cat looked a little shocked and looked down at Kisara. Her expression changed to sadness.

"She died, huh?" Cat asked and sighed. "I can't believe it…I didn't…want anyone else…to die."

"I've been waiting for you, Pharaoh! Zorc's arrival is upon us, and he deserves to be greeted by a king worthy of his greatness." Seth said to Yami.

Yami looked startled.

"What are you talking about?" He asked and looked to the side, spotting Kisara. "What happened to her?"

There was a pause as Yami then also noticed the White Dragon sealed in the stone. "I know who did this. Where is Aknadin?"

"Right here." Seth replied.

Aknadin stood over an unconscious Seth, in Seth's mind.

"You've infiltrated Seth's mind. My son was having trouble accepting his destiny, so I decided to help him. The time has arrived…and the power of the White Dragon is mine." Aknadin said to Yami. "Seth! Destroy the Pharaoh and take his place!"

Seth grinned wildly. "Let's duel." He said.

"Don't do this! Your mind has been clouded by darkness!" Yami cried.

"For the first time, everything's clear." Seth said and called for the White Dragon.

Lightening flashed and the stone glowed, the White Dragon appearing in the sky above Seth.

Yami summoned Mahado, with no choice but to fight.

"Prepare to feel the power of two generations in one attack!" Seth said.

"He's right…their magic is twice as strong now." Mahado said.

The White Dragon attacked with White Lightening.

Mahado used Dark Magic Attack.

The two attacks met but Mahado was overwhelmed by the White Dragon's power.

"Pharaoh…good luck." Mahado said before he was destroyed.

Yami fell to his knees, in pain from losing his monster.

"Your reign ends now, Pharaoh." Seth said. "You have disgraced the throne of Egypt, just like your father. But I'm about to take what was meant to be mine!"

Yami stood up. "Seth! Listen to me and break free of your father's control! Or Egypt is doomed! Don't you remember your vow to protect our land?" He reminded Seth.

"I protecting our land from you!" Seth said and ordered the White Dragon to attack.

"Kisara! Don't!" Kay and Cat cried to the dragon, knowing Kisara was in there.

"Don't…attack." Seth said, regaining consciousness in his own mind.

Yami looked up, surprised to see the White Dragon, not attacking.

"I said, ATTACK!" Aknadin commanded again.

The White Dragon struggled and then dissolved!

"Thank you Kisara." Yami said while Aknadin became enraged.

The White Dragon reappeared in Seth's mind, facing Aknadin.

"How can this be happening?!" Aknadin cried.

The White Dragon attacked him…destroying Aknadin.

"SETH!" He cried before he was destroyed. He crumbled away like a stone.

The White Dragon came to rest over the unconscious Seth.

Kisara appeared over the White Dragon.

"You're free Seth. Aknadin will never harm you again. My power rests with you now. Please take care of Khephera." She said before the Dragon dissolved again, it's light settling over Seth.

Seth opened his eyes and once again had control over his body.

Seth walked over to where Kay and Cat were around Kisara and he took her in his arms, standing before the stone tablet.

"Her spirit now lives with the White Dragon." He said as some tears fell onto Kisara's face.

He kneeled before the stone as Kay joined him.

Kaiba then came out of his hiding place and walked up to Yami and Cat.

"Isn't it a little late for Halloween?" Kaiba asked as he approached the two.

Yami and Cat turned to face him.

"Kaiba?!" Yami asked. "What are you doing in this world?"

"I've been asking myself that same question! I certainly didn't choose to come here." Kaiba answered. "Why is everyone running around in these ridiculous costumes, and speaking like they're in some bad Shakespearean play? And am I supposed to believe that that's some ancient version of myself."

He looked at Seth.

"His name is Seth." Yami said. "And three thousand years ago, he fought bravely at the Pharaoh's side to save Egypt. I had also learned that our father's were brothers."

"Are you saying we're COUSINS?" Kaiba asked.

"Pretty much, yeah, you two are cousins." Cat said with a small giggle.

"All I know is that we've gone back in time, and the same evil force that once tried to destroy mankind has come back. Kaiba you should go home. It isn't safe for you to be here." Yami said.

"Pharaoh or no Pharaoh, no one tells Seto Kaiba what to do!" Kaiba said, all huffy.

"You know, I never thought I'd see you here and all. But why do you have to go around still acting rude?"

Kaiba looked over and saw Kay marching up to him. Kaiba blinked in confusment.

"K-Kay?" He asked.

Kay raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who's this "Kay" you speak of?" She asked sarcastically and faked a pose. "My name is Khephera!"

There was a silence between the four.

"Oh come on! I was kidding! Yes, it's me, Kay! But here, I'm apparently a priestess named Khephera who's engaged to YOUR ancient counterpart!" She snapped, staring at Kaiba, hard.

Kaiba looked a little surprised. "E-engaged?!" He cried.

The two continued to rant.

Cat sweatdropped. "Well…at least this "scene" is familiar." She said with a weak smile.

"No kidding." Yami said, also sweatdropping.

* * *

"Kaiba has made quite the comeback, saying no one tells him what to do. But there's nothing you or the Kaiba or those girls can do to stop me now! The sands of the hourglass have almost emptied, and in a matter of moments, the Dark One will return!" Bakura said.

"He's right…our only hope is to unlock my hidden power by uncovering the greatest secret of my past…my true name." Yami whispered to himself. "Every challenge in a game has a solution, and you're playing with the King of Games!"

He quickly reviewed his clues.

"True…unless you miraculously regains your memory in the next few moments, you'll lose the Shadow Game. There is another way to unlock the mystery, but I've already taken measures to make sure it never happens. It involves your meddlesome friends. They've stumbled on your old tomb, within which is inscribed the Pharaoh's name." Bakura said.

"Why are you telling me this?" Yami asked.

"If I give you a glimmer of hope, you'll be that much more devastated when it comes crumbling down. The moment they discover the Pharaoh's true name, they'll be stopped by my newest pawn…who was a faithful friend of yours until he lost his mind!" Bakura laughed.


	85. Zorc's Awakening

"Tell us! What was it that you first wished for, the day you solved the Millennium Puzzle?" Honda asked Yugi again.

Yugi had tears in his eyes. "I wished for true friends…and my wish was granted." He replied, remembering all the good times he had with his friends. "You all were my wish."

"Do you mean that?" Joey asked, surprised.

"You never told us that." Anzu said.

"How precious." Honda said, pulling Yugi to him as if he was going to hug him, but suddenly pushed him away.

Yugi fell back to land on the eye disign.

"Hey! Honda!" Anzu snapped.

"What's the deal?!" Joey snapped as well.

"Honda-kun, this isn't like you!" Kanya said.

Honda grinned maliciously and shoved the other three down onto the other eye before walking over to join them.

The floor suddenly trembled and cracked, falling away to leave only the part outlined by the design balanced precariously on a slender needle of a stone, with Yugi on one end and the four on the other.

The balance slowly spinned and another door opened on the far side of the chamber.

"Go through that door, and you'll find what you're looking for." Honda said to Yugi.

"B-But! To go in there, Yugi has to give up his wish! So when Yugi leaves the balance beam, we're out of his life for good!" Joey cried. "Yug! Do what you gotta do!"

"I can't do that!" Yugi cried. "If I leave, you'll fall into the pit!"

"Your pathetic! You finally have the chance to find the Pharaoh's name, and you're worried about these fools!" Honda said.

"Hey! Back off, Honda!" Joey snapped.

Honda then, jumped from the balance to the doorway, which caused the balance to tip and the others teetering as the balance shifted.

"Yug! This thing's goin' down! Run for it!" Joey cried.

Then, him, Kanya and Anzu jumped from the rising end of the balance, just catching onto the ledge in front of the doorway.

Yugi ran up the balance and leapt, landing on Joey's back as the balance fell into the pit.

Joey looked over at Yugi, who was clinging, to his waist, over his shoulder.

"It's true what they say! You've got to hang onto your friends." Joey laughed.

Anzu and Kanya climbed onto the ledge before helping Yugi climb over Joey's back.

Then all three helped Joey up. They quickly ran into the new chamber, where a golden panel carved with hieroglyphics stood.

"That must be the Pharaoh's name." Yugi said.

"But what does it say?" Kanya asked.

"I know what it says! "Bird, rock, lamb chop, bird and a bigger bird." But what does it mean?" Joey said.

(LOL! I loved that part when Joey said all those things. Hilarious.)

"We should just memorize the symbols." Anzu said. "We have to find Honda and get out of here."

They then, followed a stairway down into a large cavern with a stone bridge crossing it.

Honda walked towards them from the other side. "I thought you were down for the count." He said. "But apparently, you don't know when to quit."

"I've had enough! Honda, consider this friendship over!" Joey snapped.

"Joey…I don't think that's Honda." Yugi said.

"No, it can't be. Honda would never act this way." Kanya agreed with Yugi.

"You're right." Honda said before…he turned into Bakura!

"Now the real fun can start!" Bakura said with an evil smirk.

"Unfortunately, we're unable to see what goes on in the Pharaoh's tomb. But I'm guessing that your friends were sent plummeting into the Shadows by my other half." Bakura said, sitting at the RPG table. "They may have located your name first, but that information will never make it to you. Not only that, but time is up."

The last remaining sands fell through the hourglass and Bakura laughed.

"NO!" Yami shouted.

* * *

The skies suddenly turned dark over Yami, Kaiba, Cat and Kay.

* * *

The chamber that Bakura, Yugi and the others were began to quake.

"The Dark One is about to make his grand entrance." Bakura said.

"We have to stop him!" Yugi cried.

"It's impossible. There's only one way to do that, and there's no way you're leaving here with the Pharaoh's name." Bakura said and a Duel Disk formed on his arm. "Prepare yourself for your final duel! It all comes down to this! It's been a while since we've faced off in a duel, but this time you don't have your alter ego to bail you out."

"Yugi, maybe we shouldn't go through with this." Anzu said, worried.

"Anzu's right! Not till we know where Honda is!" Joey agreed.

Bakura laughed, remembering when Honda attacked Thief Bakura after Yami's fall.

"Honda was weak! And I was able to take over his mind." He said.

"Everything makes sense, now!" Kanya said.

"Where is Honda now?! We want our friend back!" Joey yelled at Bakura.

"If you ever want to see Honda again, you'd better get this game under way." Bakura said.

"Fine! Let's duel!" Yugi said, determined.

* * *

"Take cover!" Hasan cried to Shada, Shimon, Isis, Kate and Mana as the dark clouds began to swirl and rocks began to fly up to the pyramid in the sky.

"Wait Karim!" Isis cried and turned back. But Shimon took her arm.

"We must hurry!" He cried and a building was beginning to fall on them, but the Dark Magician Girl came to their rescue and destroyed the wall with a blast of magic.

Bakura stood over them, riding the Millennium Stone as if it was some kind of Magic Carpet.

"It's hopeless! The age of darkness has arrived!" He laughed as Diabound rose behind him. "If you thought Diabound was frightening, just wait! The Lord of Darkness is here!"

And with that, Bakura and Diabound dissolved into red light.

"Behold! The might Zorc!" Bakura said as the RPG table glowed red.

Waves of light emerged from the Millennium Stone and shot up into the sky.

Then, a bright red light beamed down from the clouds and the Millennium Stone broke apart, the Millennium Items flying away.

The red light struck the ground, splitting it open and fire burst forth.

Around the fire, the great beast raised.

"It's true! The being responsible for creating the Shadow Realm has crossed over into our world!" Isis cried.

"How can we stop it?" Mana asked.  
"According to the prophecy, there's only one person who can defeat Zorc! The chosen Pharaoh!" Shada answered.

Zorc loomed over them as the skies roiled and rocks flew all around.

"Checkmate!" Bakura cried at the RPG table. "My most powerful game piece has joined the competition! Now to wipe your kingdom off the map! Zorc! Reduce the land to rubble and envelop Egypt in eternal darkness!"

Zorc exhaled steam between his hangs and his eyes glowed red.

"The same force that threatened your homeland three thousand years ago has returned to finish the job!" Bakura said to Yami.

"Zorc! What do you want from us?!" Isis called to Zorc.

"Ages ago, I created the Shadow Realm, where I have resided for centuries. Now that I've been released, our worlds will converge, and you will be swallowed by darkness!" Zorc answered.

Zorc had another serpent head coming from his body, and it shot fire from its mouth.

"Farewell, mortals!" Zorc cried.

Yami at the RPG table, watched in horror as the fiery blast aimed at Isis and the other priests. But before the fire could reach them, Hasan leapt in front of them, to protect them.

"According to legend, not even Hasan can defend us from the Dark One!" Shimon said.

"Go and evacuate the kingdom while you still can!" Hasan cried.

The priests nodded and hopped onto their horses and rode away while Hasan continued to hold off the attack.

"A protector of Pharaohs is no match for the Lord of Darkness." Zorc said and doubled his attack, causing Hasan to be thrown down.

"Pharaoh…I've failed you." Hasan said weakly before…he died.

* * *

"The Dark One has already begun its rampage! But no need to worry about that. As long as you remain underground, Zorc can't harm you." Bakura said to Yugi and the others. "But that doesn't mean you're safe from me!"

"If we want to help the Pharaoh take down Zorc, then I have to take down Bakura." Yugi said to himself as Joey, Kanya and Anzu shouted encouragement's to him.

The duel started.

* * *

Isis used Spiria to observe Zorc. "Shada. Zorc is approaching the kingdom!" She announced.

"We must hurry! It's our duty to protect Egypt at all costs!" Shimon cried.

Zorc marched across the desert. His footsteps caused the ground to shake.

"Do you believe me now, Kaiba?" Yami asked as they all watched from the ruin.

Kaiba crossed his arms across his chest.

"For all I know, this whole thing is a bad dream." He replied.

Yami turned to look at Seth, who was still kneeling at Kisara's side.

"Rest here. I promise me and Khephera will return for you." Seth promised. "Please, lend us your power."

Seth then covered Kisara with a cloth and stood up.

Yami looked back at Kaiba.

"Why don't you try telling that to Seth?" He asked.

"Am I supposed to feel bad because some guy who looks like me, lost his girlfriend?" Kaiba asked.

"Have it your way." Yami said and walked off, Cat and Kay following.

Yami rode away with Cat on his horse. Seth and Kay rode on another horse that…somehow got there.

Kaiba walked over to Kisara and stood over her.

He remembered encountering her in the city before turning away and walking off through the swirling sands.

Lightning flashed in the sky as the panicked citizens of Egypt watched.

"Citizens! Seek refuge in the palace!" The palace guards urged everyone.

Yami, Cat, Seth and Kay rode towards the city.

They noticed that soldiers were already gathering on the hillside, preparing for battle.

The troops wheeled wooden missiles and stone catapults into position as the four arrived.

"SHIMON! SHADA!" Seth called as the two returned.

"Welcome back!" Shimon said happily.

"Good to see you're still with us." Shada said to Seth with a small smile. "You're just in time."

"I'm grateful to see that you're safe, Seth." Isis said.

"I wish I could say the same for my father." Seth said.

"Is Aknadin still under Bakura's control?" Shada asked.

"Aknadin has been destroyed. But Seth is now free." Kay answered.

Everyone got off their horses.

"Alright. We must fight." Yami said and started forward, about to head for Zorc, but he faltered and fell to his knees.

Cat caught him. "You're too weak for this." She said.

"Pharaoh, allow me to lead the soldiers and reclaim my honor." Seth said.

"Alright. We trust you." Yami said.

Zorc appeared on the horizon.

"Men! Get ready! In the name of the Pharaoh!" Seth cried. "We shall prevail!"

Zorc continued to march towards Egypt, angry spirits swirling around his feet.

"Have patience! Wait until we see the "reds" of his eyes." Seth said to the soldiers.

After a moment, when Zorc approached, Seth ordered the soldiers to fire.

The wooden missiles were launched. They hit Zorc, but it didn't seem to have any effect on him.

Next, the catapults fired, but it did no damage.

"Don't give up, men! Zorc is but one beast against a great army!" Seth cried.

Zorc then, waved his clawed fist, causing a huge shockwave to head towards the Egyptian army.

"Enough!" Yami snapped.

"But things are just getting interesting." Bakura said as the Millennium Puzzle hanging over the table began to sway, and red electricity buzzed around the table.

"What's going on?" Yami asked.

"The events of the past are beginning to affect the present. If the world was destroyed three thousand years ago, then the world of today would cease to exist." Bakura explained.

"You can't do this!" Yami protests.

"But I already have." Bakura said. "As soon as Zorc covers ancient Egypt in darkness, I'll have completed what I began centuries ago. This Shadow Game is the crossroads of time, where the past and the future meet. And before it's through, I will have destroyed both. And none of it was possible with you! You allowed me to reunite with the Dark One. Now the Shadow Realm has been unlocked and the darkness has been released!"

Zorc's attacks tore up the ground at the army's feet.

"He's just too strong!" Shada cried.

"Seth, we must retreat and regroup." Yami said.

"Yes." Seth said with a nod. "Men! Return to the palace!"

* * *

Back in present day, Zorc's attacks began to effect Domino, causing a hurricane in the town square that shattered the glass in the clock.

It blew Weevil across the ground. "MY DECK IS BEING BLOWN AWAY!" He screetched.

Rex clinged onto a lamppost. "We've got bigger problems!" He cried.

* * *

Bakura laughed madly.

"You spent years trying to save the world, only to lose now!" He laughed.

"This fight is far from over!" Yami growled.


	86. The Egyptian Gods

Zorc continued to stride towards the palace, where everyone had gathered.

"I'm afraid the Dark One is too powerful for an army of mere mortals to defeat. The only way to face a supernatural threat is to use a supernatural army." Shimon said.

Zorc stopped before the palace.

"Sacred Priests! Summon your most powerful monsters!" Seth said to the other priests.

Mana called forth the Dark Magician Girl, and Isis called upon Spiria.

Shada summoned Two-Headed Jackal Warrior and Seth summoned Duos.

"Your meek warriors are powerless against me." Zorc said and his red eyes glowed.

"Duos! Aura Sword!" Seth cried.

"Two-Headed Jackal Warrior! Battle Axe!" Shada cried.

With those two, including the Dark Magician Girl's Dark Burning Attack, the three attacked Zorc.

But they had no effect.

"Your feeble attempts at combat insult me." Zorc said and counterattacked.

He swept all the monsters away with one blow.

"Zorc is invincible!" Seth cried.

"Everything has a weakness." Yami said.

"I was hoping for more of a challenge. After all, conquering Zorc didn't seem too much of a problem for the Pharaoh the first time around. It appears you've lost your touch." Bakura said.

Zorc's attack blasted towards Yami.

"Farewell." Bakura said.

Shada leapt in front of Yami, protecting him from the attack.

Shada fell to the ground and Yami kneeled next to him.

"Shada! Wake up!" He cried.

"Pharaoh…farewell…" Shada said weakly and died.

"Another one of your mindless minions die." Bakura said.

"Shada is my friend!" Yami said.

"He WAS your friend. He won't be too much use to you any more. But, you will be joining him shortly. They all will. In moments darkness will blanket the entire world." Bakura said.

"Shada…" Yami said and stood up, his fists clenched. He stared fiercely up at Zorc. "Shada, your actions won't be in vain. I will defeat this menace."

Lightening flashed and the dark skies continued to roil as people ran for their lives from Zorc.

"Men! Stand your ground! That beast must not advance beyond the palace walls! Zorc must be destroyed at all costs!" Seth cried. "Urg…if only I had the strength to summon a creature of my own! Zorc would easily fall at the hands on the White Dragon! Kisara…please help us."

Yami, Cat, Isis and Kay kneeled beside Shada's body.

Cat sighed sadly. "We lost another." She said.

"Shada…" Isis said with tears in her eyes.

"Zorc's resurrection has brought out the worst of both worlds. As the world of the past sinks into the darkness, so does its present-day counterpart, and before long, neither will exist." Bakura said at the RPG table. "And the best part is that it's all your fault, Pharaoh. If you hadn't traveled back in time to learn about your past, I wouldn't have been able to join you. And you're the only one who can stop me, but you never will. You can't remember the key to beating Zorc! Your own name."

"That may be true, but there is someone out there with the courage and determination to find it for me! Yugi! There's a reason Yugi and me met. So we could rescue mankind from the evils that scoundrels like you unleash!" Yami said. "And it's not just Yugi you need to worry about. I have all my friends by his and my side."

Bakura only laughed.

"Such a tough guy! Well, we'll see how long your arrogance will last." He said.

Zorc continued to attack the palace walls.

"Pharaoh…it's useless. Our defenses are too weak." Shimon said.

"Yes…I know." Yami sadly agreed.

"There's only one way to defeat a creature as powerful as Zorc! You must summon the three Egyptian gods!" Shimon said.

"I-I can't. Not without my Millennium Puzzle. Besides…my energy is much too low." Yami protested.

"That's true. Without the Items, none of us have the strength we need." Shimon said.

Isis stood up. "We must search the desert until we find the Items." She said.

"But haven't they already been destroyed?" Yami asked.

"When Zorc first arrived in our world, the seven Millennium Items were scattered throughout the desert. If we can find them, we might be able to save Egypt!" Shimon exclaimed.

"I'll go." Yami said.

"No, you have other matters to attend to. The soldiers are depending on their king for support. With Spiria as my guide, I know I can locate the Items." Isis said.

Mana came up with Isis. "I'm going too." She said.

"Mana…maybe you shouldn't." Yami said.

"If Mahado was here, he would want me to go." Mana said.

"Well…alright." Yami said.

"We won't let you down!" Mana said.

"I hope not." Seth said. "Mana, Isis, take the south route, while me and my men distract Zorc."

Isis and Mana nodded and hurried away.

Yami, Kay and Cat wished them luck.

A little while later, Isis and Mana flew on the back of Wing Dragon Guardian of the Fortress, returning from their trip.

"We're not too late. Zorc hasn't made it into the palace yet." Mana said.

The soldiers continued to attack Zorc, who looked over his shoulder and spotted the dragon speeding back towards the palace.

He turned around. "The Millennium Items are powerless against me." He said and started to throw fireballs at them, which the dragon was able to dodge.

The Winged Dragon landed just beyond the palace walls and Shimon ran to them.

"Mana, I'll deal with Zorc, while you take the Items to the Pharaoh." Isis said.

"What? I'm not going to let you fight alone!" Mana protested.

"But if the Pharaoh doesn't get the Items, all hope is lost." Isis said.

Mana was hesitant.

"The fate of the world is at stake, and your place is with the Pharaoh. Mahado would have said the same thing." Isis continued.

Crying, Mana nodded and took the sack, containing the Millennium Items and jumped down from the dragon, running to the palace.

Isis wore the Millennium Necklace, asking it to grant her strength.

The Winged Dragon she sat on grew larger.

Spiria distracted Zorc as Isis and the Winged Dragon rammed into Zorc.

"You'll pay for that!" Zorc growled and took out the dragon with one swipe.

Isis fell from the dragon and plummeted towards the ground.

Tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry Pharaoh. I will now join the others." She said.

Zorc continued to attack as Shimon reached the wall, where he spotted Spiria float away into the sky.

"Farewell…Isis." He said.

Mana reached Shimon and fell to her knees, weeping for Isis.

"You must take the Millennium Items to the Pharaoh, so that Isis will not have died in vain." Shimon said to her and took the Millennium Key from the sack. "I'll buy some more time. Before Shada, I was the priest of the Millennium Key. Take the rest to the king."

Mana nodded and ran off with the remaining Millennium Items.

"Millennium Key…grant me strength this one last time, in the name of the Pharaoh!" Shimon cried and held up the Key. "I call upon! The Forbidden One!"

Five spots circled around Zorc and five stone tablets rose along the circle, each with a piece of Exodia, the Forbidden One cared on it.

"Behold! Exodia, protector of Egypt!" Shimon cried as the ten-pointed star on the ground glowed.

In a shaft of light, Exodia appeared, bound in chains.

The soldiers cheered as Exodia appeared.

"It's the Forbidden One! A best so powerful it was able to defeat an army of thousands in a single night!" Seth cried.

"If not for Exodia, this land would have fallen at the hands of its enemies! Due to its incredible strength, I sealed it into five stone tablets, vowing never to release it again. But now, I lift that seal!" Shimon said.

Exodia's chains burst and the two monsters clashed and Exodia ripped Zorc's arm off.

"Good!" Shimon cried.

"It doesn't matter, I'm immortal!" Zorc said and the arm in Exodia's fists turned to sand and a new arm spurted from Zorc's shoulder.

Zorc then ripped off Exodia's arm and tossed it aside.

Shimon clutched his shoulder in pain.

"But if Zorc's immortal, so is Exodia." He said.

Sand rose from the desert to form a new arm for Exodia.

The soldiers continued to cheer as Exodia and Zorc fought.

"It's as powerful as Zorc!" Seth exclaimed.

"Let's hope." Yami said.

Shimon gasped with the effort of maintaining the monster.

Zorc laughed. "How do you expect to overpower me?" He asked Exodia. "You draw your life force from a single human, while mine is derived from the darkness itself!"

"Then observe what the life force of a single human can do!" Shimon cried and commanded Exodia to obliterate!

Exodia released a huge blast.

As everyone watched, Shimon offered up every ounce of his spirit to implore Exodia to burn through the darkness.

"There's not a creature in existence that can overpower me! My strength is infinite!" Zorc cried and counterattacks, his dark blast bursting through Exodia.

Shimon coughed up blood as Exodia was split in half and crumbled to dust. Shimon collapsed to his knees.

"Pharaoh…I failed you." He said and fell to the ground, the Millennium Key dropping from his hand, dead.

Zorc turned to the palace. "Pharaoh! Opposing me is futile! I am the embodiment of pure darkness, and as the world is enveloped by Shadows, my power shall grow! Kneel before your new master!" He said.

"Never!" Yami yelled. "The light of hope still shines upon the people of Egypt! And that light can illuminate the darkest shadows!"

Mana finally ran up to Yami and handed him the Millennium Puzzle, weeping.

"Isis and Shimon died so I could bring this to you." She said.

"I promise that their actions will not be in vain." Yami said as the Puzzle glowed and his energy was renewed.

"I can't believe it. Are they really gone?" Kate asked.

"I'm afraid so." Kay said.

Cat, Kay and Kate then went over to Mana to comfort her.

Yami walked towards Zorc, holding the Millennium Puzzle in his hand. "I face you with the spirits of those who gave up so much to gain peace! In the name of the people of Egypt, I shall prevail!" He shouted.

"Pharaoh! Please let me handle this!" Seth said.

"No. Zorc is mine." Yami said.

Seth began to protest.

"Seth, we've tried everything in our power. There's only one hope left, and it lies in my hands." Yami said and held up the Millennium Puzzle. "Zorc invaded my kingdom and threatened my people! And now Zorc must pay for his crime! Millennium Puzzle! Activate!"

Light blazed from the Puzzle.

Yami raised his Diadiankh. "I call upon the three Egyptian Gods! Obelisk the Tormentor! Slifer the Sky Dragon and the Winged Dragon of Ra!" He cried.

The three Egyptian gods burst from the temple and attacked Zorc.

Slifer was the first to strike, knocking Zorc to the ground.

Obelisk stood over Zorc while Ra hovered overhead.

Yami smiled. "It appears the game has shifted in my favor." He said to Bakura.

"Those monsters are no match for Zorc and you should know. Because me and Zorc are on and the same!" Bakura said. "Now, we'll go for a closer look."

A dark ball of lightning formed over the RPG, engulfing Yami and Bakura, transferring them into the Memory World.

Yami combined with the Pharaoh.

"Zorc! Surrender now or face the rage of the three Egyptian Gods!" He cried.

Bakura combined with Zorc.

"When I'm through with them, the Egyptian Gods will bow before the Lord of Darkness!" He said.

Ra roared just as Kaiba showed up, shocked to see the three God monsters standing in the desert.

They seemed too realistic to be holograms. Could the have been…the real thing?

"Obelisk! Strike Zorc down with your Fist of Fate!" Yami cried and Obelisk did so.

Zorc crashed to the ground.

"It's not a bad start…but we'll see if Yugi can keep it up." Kaiba said.

Yami then ordered Slifer to attack and Slifer did so.

And finally Yami called to Ra.

"May your light banish the darkness!" He cried and Ra rose into the sky, and a bright light beamed down on Zorc.

"Now! Combine your strength and attack Zorc all at once!" Yami commanded.

The Egyptian God's attacks hit Zorc with such a huge force, everyone was thrown back.

Kaiba continued to watch in awe as the people of Egypt cheered.

Everyone stood up.

"It's over." Seth said.

"Let's hope so." Yami said.

Obelisk stood over the chasm into which Zorc was blasted, while Slifer and Ra flew overhead.

The clouds parted and the sunlight returned.

The soldiers cheered that Zorc was finally gone and that they were all free.

Mana, Cat, Kay and Kate jumped up.

"You did it!" They cried to Yami happily.

"We all did it." Yami replied.

But then…the ground began to tremble…and Zorc's fist shot up from the ground!  
From his hand, darkness spread and once again bolted out the sun.

"What's he doing?" Kate asked.

"He's covering Egypt in complete darkness!" Cat cried.

"Somehow…that thing caused a solar eclipse." Kaiba said.

Frantically, Yami ordered the Egyptian Gods to attack before the light was gone.

They flew towards Zorc and Zorc grabbed Ra's leg in his claw.

Ra pulled him up out of the ground, trying to fly away.

Obelisk grabbed onto Zorc's leg and the three of the rose up into the sky.

Darkness began to emanate from Zorc himself.

"As long as the darkness spreads, my strength grows!" Zorc cried.

Ra broke free and Yami ordered Ra and Slifer to attack.

But Zorc repelled their attacks.

"Without the sun's rays, they're powerless against me!" Zorc cried and counterattacked.

Slifer and Ra were turned to stone and they fell to the ground.

Then, Obelisk, who was still clinging to Zorc's leg, also turned to stone and fell to the ground.

Everyone was horrified!

"How did Zorc defeat the Egyptian Gods?!" Yami cried.

"This was our last hope!" The soldiers cried.

"That's nuts! No one defeats those monsters!" Kaiba cried as well.

Zorc landed, crushing the stone body of Obelisk underfoot.

Yami gasped and fell to his knees in pain, Cat beside him.

Holes appeared in the walls and stairways that wind through the interior of the Millennium Puzzle.

Shadi stood inside the Puzzle.

"The labyrinth of the Pharaoh's mind is disappearing. The Pharaoh must be regaining his memories. But if the Dark One isn't defeated soon, all will be lost." He said.


	87. Light Always Wins

Zorc stood beneath the eclipsed sun.

"The Egyptian Gods have fallen." He said.

Yami stared at the petrified bodies of the three Egyptian Gods. He was still in pain from losing Obelisk.

"Even your deities were forced to surrender when confronted with the power of the Shadow Realm. A world that is now converging with your own, for when the Pharaoh's people fashioned the Millennium Items, they opened the doorway to the darkness. And now the world as you know it shall crumble." Zorc said and punched the Ra statue, breaking off its head.

Yami coughed up blood and shuddered in pain before collapsing onto the ground.

Cat grabbed his shoulders. "Yami-kun! Are you alright?!" She asked. "It's no use…you're too weak to fight."

Seth turned to Zorc, angrily.

"The Pharaoh is cowering at the feet of the new lord and ruler of Egypt!" Zorc said triumphantly and started towards Seth and the soldiers.

"Lord Seth! All is lost! We must surrender!" One of the soldiers said to Seth.

The rest of the soldiers turn and ran.

"Hold your ground!" Seth commanded, but the scared soldiers ignored him.

Zorc attacked, sending a fireball over the walls and into the city.

"Soon, there will be nowhere to hide!" He said.

"Luna! Mana! Khephera! Ankh! Take the Pharaoh back to the palace!" Seth said.

"But…" Mana began to protest.

"Go! And leave Zorc to me!" Seth commanded.

Obeying, Cat and Mana lifted Yami to his feet and lead him away.

Kay and Kate followed, but stopped and hid nearby. They weren't going to let Seth face this alone.

Seth turned to Zorc, by himself. He lifted his Millennium Rod.

"In the name of the Pharaoh, I'll return you to the Realm of Shadows!" Seth cried and ran towards Zorc.

"Foolish human. The Shadow Realm is now here on earth, where I will reign supreme." Zorc said and shot fireballs at Seth, who dodged them and continued to run towards Zorc.

"You are a trespasser in this kingdom, and this world!" Seth cried. "Kisara! Lend me your power!"  
He then, summoned the White Dragon, which attacked Zorc, knocking him down.

Kaiba watched from a cliff above. "The Blue-Eyes White Dragon! This is finally starting to get interesting." He said.

The White Dragon shot another attack at Zorc, who used his arm to deflect it. But it shot off his arm.

The arm flew and landed on a building inside the city's walls before it dissolved away.

The darkness began to recede from the sun. And the rays of light shined on the White Dragon.

The people of Egypt ran into the streets, amazed to see that the White Dragon had conquered the darkness.

Seth looked up at the Dragon. "Kisara, your strength is greater than I thought." He said and the White Dragon roared.

But suddenly, Zorc came up from underground. Seth, Kay, Kate and Kaiba watched in horror as Zorc grabbed a hold of the White Dragon's throat with his mouth.

While he did that, a new arm grew where he had lost his other one and grabbed onto the Dragon's head.

"Eventually, every creature must serve the darkness." Zorc said.

"Not me!" Seth said.

But then, the shadows began to consume his arm and the Millennium Rod.

The White Dragon was then turned to stone and thrown against a building, causing it to shatter.

Seth then fell to the ground, covered in darkness.

The sun was once again blotted out and the people in the streets began to dispair.

"The White Dragon was our last hope! Now Egypt belongs to Zorc!" Someone said.

Kaiba then ran towards Zorc, angrily. "That sideshow freak beat the Blue-Eyes and the Egyptian Gods!" He cried.

Zorc stomped towards the city.

"I'll collapse one brick at a time." He said and crashed through the city wall. "First Egypt, then the world!"

He continued on through, walking through the streets and blasting away with fireballs from both mouths.

People ran around, terrified.

Kaiba somehow managed to get ahead of Zorc and up on top of one of the buildings in Zorc's path.

"Nobody likes a bully. Especially me!" Kaiba said and paused when he spotted a boy and his brother try to run from Zorc.

He then jumped down onto the street.

"If you want to pick on someone, pick on me!" He snapped at Zorc.

Without saying anything, Zorc blasted a fireball at Kaiba.

He was able to dodge the fire in time.

Zorc was about to attack again, until he suddenly got hit!

Zorc looked at his attackers and saw the monsters, Hyozanryu and Black Luster Soldier.

"Where did they come from?" Kaiba wondered and suddenly felt someone lightly smack the back of his head.

"You idiot. Why the heck would you try to take on Zorc without any monsters?"

Kaiba turned around and there was Kay with Kate standing next to her.

"You two…" Kaiba said. "How did you summon those monsters?"

"Its called "Ka". Those monsters are pretty much our spirits. So if they're destroyed, we get hurt." Kate explained. "We finally figured out how to summon them."

"Yeah…so right now we're being a distraction while YOU get a Duel Disk ready." Kay said.

"But I don't have a Duel Disk." Kaiba said.

"I don't know how, but apparently people from the present can have a Duel Disk form on their arm. Concentrate and see if you can." Kay said.

Kay and Kate's Ka's continued to attack and dodge Zorc.

(Note: Hyozanryu is Kay's Ka and Black Luster Soldier is Kate's Ka.)

Kaiba concentrated hard and after a moment, a Duel Disk "magically" appeared on his arm.  
"It worked!" He said and drew a card and slapped it down on the Duel Disk.

And of course…it was the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

The Dragon appeared in the sky, ready to face Zorc.

Zorc stopped paying attention to Kay and Kate's monsters and turned to the Blue-Eyes.

"Your Egyptian counterpart already tried this and failed. What makes you think that your fate will be any different?" Zorc asked.

"I've been smacking around virtual monsters like you since I could talk. As a matter of fact, my first words were, "Neutron Blast Attack"." Kaiba said smugly.

"You should have stayed in your own world! Your cards and holograms are useless here." Zorc said.

Kaiba pulled out his other two Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards. "You may have been able to handle one Blue-Eyes, but lets see you stand up to three! In the form of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!" He cried.

The three dragons merged and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon attacked Zorc, sending him crashed back through the city wall.

"That's the last mistake you'll ever make!" Zorc said, getting up. "Prepare to join your other half in eternal darkness!"

Zorc and the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon began to fight.

* * *

It was a while until Yugi finally won the duel against Bakura.

"Man! I never get tired of watching Yugi kick butt!" Joey cried happily.

Bakura sank to his knees.  
"I wouldn't be celebrating if I were you." He said. "Yugi's victory is all in vain."

"We'll see about that." Yugi said. "Now let us go!"

Bakura laughed. "All right. But it's too late to save the Pharaoh." He said. "While we were playing cards, Zorc was ushering in the age of darkness. So despite your apparent victory, I win the game."

He laughed one last time before he suddenly fell to the ground and faded away, leaving Honda lying there.

Everyone ran to him.

"Honda! Wake up!" Joey cried, shaking him.

Honda suddenly jumped up to his hands and knees. "Where are we?" He asked. "Did I pass out or something?"

"Bakura was wearing your body like a cheap suit." Joey answered.

Honda stood up.

"I was possessed?" He asked.

"That's right, and if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be trapped in this tomb!" Joey said.

"What did I do?" Honda asked.

"First you double-crossed us, then attacked us…then you almost sent Yugi to the Shadow Realm." Anzu explained.

Honda turned to Yugi. "Yugi, I'm sorry that I caused all that trouble." He apologized, guilty.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault." Yugi said.

Suddenly, everyone heard a crash!

The room started to shake.

"Whoa! I think the tomb is collapsing!" Joey cried.

"Let's get out of here!" Kanya cried.

Everyone turned and ran.

"Anyone have any idea where we're going?" Honda asked.

"Not a clue." Joey said as they ran from the cavern and into a tunnel.

They then ran out of the tunnel, which opened out onto the side of a cliff.

"How do we get down?" Kanya asked.

"Everyone! Follow me!" Joey said and stepped onto the steep side of the cliff and began to slide down.

Everyone followed him and they soon reached the bottom, where the hooded riders confronted them, drawing their swords.

Honda glared at them and attacked the riders, bare-handed.

"I've caused enough trouble! About time I paid you guys back!" He cried and jumped one of the riders, dragging him off his horse.

Joey followed and one of the riders swung their sword at Joey.

Everyone cried out as Joey held up his arms in defense from the sword.

But to Joey's surprise, the sword hit a Duel Disk that appeared on his arm!

"Where did dat come from?" He wondered.

"I get it! If we concentrate hard enough, our thoughts can become real!" Yugi said.

Honda stood up. "Guess what I'm thinking!" He said and a Duel Disk formed on his arm as well.

Joey and Honda then ran towards the remaining riders. Joey stopped and pulled out two cards from his deck and summoned Gearfried the Iron Knight and Flame Swordsman.

Honda summoned Lava Battleguard and Swamp Battleguard.

The monsters leapt into battle as Joey and Honda re-joined Yugi, Kanya and Anzu.

The riders surrounded them.

"There's no time to fight! We've got to concentrate on getting out of here!" Yugi cried.

The five closed their eyes and concentrated. They soon began to glow and they shot up into the air, leaving the riders behind.

"If we think hard enough, can we turn those punks into something more interesting?" Honda wondered.

"There's only one way to find out!" Joey said with a grin before he and Honda closed their eyes.

"Pork chops and applesauce…pork chops and applesauce…" They chanted.

But the riders remained riders.

"We have the power to fly, but we can't get a decent meal!" Joey complained.

"We're running out of time! Let's kick it into hyper speed!" Yugi said and the five zoomed off into the desert.

* * *

Back in the present, the Kaiba Corp. jet flew over Egypt in a storm.

Mokuba stood behind the pilot, trying to get a hold of Kaiba on his radio headset.

Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the jet and Mokuba saw the image of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon ahead of them.

Then the image disappeared and a hole opened up in the clouds, revealing a vision of ancient Egypt.

* * *

Back in the Memory World, Zorc and the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon continued to fight.

The real world began to appear beyond the clouds.

"The ultimate collision of light and shadow has created a bridge between our realms." Zorc said. "Now I have a new world to conquer! The world of the future!"

The ground began to crack under Kaiba, Kay and Kate's feet.

"Bow before your new lord and master!" Zorc said to them.

"Never!" They all shouted.

* * *

Mana kneeled over Yami, who was unconscious. She was calling on her powers to restore his strength. Cat sat next to Mana, looking worried.

After a moment, Yami woke up and sat up.

"Where is Zorc?" He asked.

Not waiting for an answer, he jumped up and ran to the balcony wall, looking out to see the battle between Zorc and the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"Mana, Cat…where did the dragon come from?" He asked as the other two joined him.

"Cat?" Mana asked, looking at Cat.

Cat held up her hands. "U-uh…it's a nickname he…gave me?" She said, trying to cover.

"Okay…makes sense." Mana said slowly and turned back to Yami. "While you were unconscious, Seth's White Dragon was defeated by Zorc, and then came back in a different form."

"There's only one person I know who can summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Kaiba!" Yami cried and looked up into the sky where the energy from the battle opened up a portal.

"Mana…I need the Millennium Scale." He said.  
Mana handed him the Millennium Scale.

"This may be our last chance to defeat Zorc." Yami said and held up the Scale. "Karim…lend me your power."

The Puzzle, Scale and Yami's Diadiankh started to glow.

Mana and Cat wished him luck as Yami leapt down from the balcony, calling out to Kaiba.

Kaiba looked up at Yami flying down towards him.

"He's nuts!" Kaiba mummered to himself.

"I know you know what to do!" Yami called.

Kaiba clenched his fists and shouted before flying up into the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"They have merged to become, Master of Dragon Soldier!" Yami said and stood atop the dragon, calling the dragon to attack.

"Whoa…how did that just happen?" Kay asked, looking up at the new dragon.

"Kaiba just fused with his monster!" Kate cried.

"Weird…" They both mummered.

The dragon shot a huge blast of power and it hit Zorc.

The attack created a great ball of light over the city. The light expanded to hit the Dragon Soldier, blowing it to bits, then engulfed Zorc as well.

Once the light faded, Yami laid on the ground, looking out at the hazy desert. "It's all over." He said. But he then gasped when Zorc appeared through the haze. "He's still alive?!"

* * *

Shadi stood in the crumbling Millennium Puzzle, looking down at the huge crater formed by the battle with Zorc.

"The time has finally arrived." He said and held up the Millennium Key and Scale. "I have waited my entire life for this and I know what must be done."

The two items glowed and then they and Shadi turned into a ball of golden light.

It shot out over the desert and into the body of Hasan.

In Hasan's body, he stood up.

"With the power of Hasan, I'll protect the Pharaoh." He said and flew up into the sky.

* * *

Zorc stood over Yami.

"We now stand face-to-face for the last time. The light of hope stands against the darkness, and darkness shall prevail. The universe was born without light. All that existed was a vast wasteland of shadows, and though fleeting moments occur in which light attempts to illuminate the darkness, in the end, it is always extinguished. The same holds true for you. A mere flicker whose faint glow has expired." He said.

"You're wrong! There is no darkness without light! It is light that gave life to the world, light that gives hope! And it is light that will defeat you!" Yami cried.

"Let's put that theory to the test." Zorc said and attacked Yami.

But before the attack could hit, Shadi in Hasan's body leapt in front of it.

The attack broke Hasan's mask, revealing Shadi underneath.

"Wha? Shadi!" Yami cried.

"Pharaoh, you must never surrender to the darkness. The light of hope will soon arrive, bearing the information you need." Shadi said before he was destroyed.

"It's exactly as I predicted. Everything will return to darkness, just as it always does." Zorc said.

* * *

Five glowing figures flew through the sky towards Yami.

"Pharaoh…hang in there! Help is on the way!" Yugi said.

* * *

"Look at the mighty Pharaoh now! Bearly standing besides the ruins of what was once your kingdom!" Zorc said.

"This isn't over!" Yami insisted. "The light of hope still burns bright!"

"Your friends have been given over to the Shadows, and your soldiers have deserted you. Yet you speak of hope?" Zorc asked.

"They'll be back." Yami said.

"Open your eyes! Your reign is over!" Zorc cried.

"Never!" Yami shouted before collapsing to the ground.

"Centuries ago, you had the power to lock me away. You seem to have grown weak in your "old age"." Zorc said.

"I…can't die here!" Yami cried.

Zorc prepared a final fireball to destroy Yami, laughing.

Yami struggled to his knees and called out to Yugi.

Zorc stood over him, ready to launch his attack.

But then, five lights appeared in the sky, hurtling towards them.

It was Yugi and the others!

"It's not too late!" Yugi cried.

Everyone called to Yami.

Yami looked up at them. "Thank you." He said.

"You should have stayed in your own world!" Zorc snapped and threw the fireball at them.

They managed to dodge it, but realize that there wasn't much time.

"Watch out!" Yami cried as he noticed Bakura's robed men riding towards them.

"Great! First the "Lord of Darkness" and now these guys!" Joey cried.

"Yugi, do you have any plans?" Anzu asked.

Yugi frowned and a Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

"With the deck me and the Pharaoh built together, I can blast this creep back to the Shadow Realm!" He said.

"I hope so." Yami said.

"It's time to duel!" Yugi cried and summoned Dark Magician.

"Mahado is back!" Yami cried.

"I made a vow to protect you at all times." Mahado said to Yami.

"You're not going in there alone, Yug!" Joey said and summoned Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

Honda, Kanya and Anzu followed.

Honda summoned Super Roboyarou.

Anzu summoned Fire Sorcerer.

And Kanya summoned Buster Blader.

Just then, Bakura's men turned into zombies, which flew towards the gang.

Mahado and Red-Eyes Black Dragon attacked, blasting the zombies.

Super Roboyarou, Buster Blader, and Fire Sorcerer joined the attack.

But the zombies reappeared and continued to attack.

"What are we gonna do?" Honda asked.

"I don't know." Anzu said.

"Perhaps I can help." A voice said.

Everyone looked over.

It's the Dark Magician Girl! She was flying over.

"How…?" Mahado wondered.

"Someone must have summoned her!" Yugi said.

On the palace balcony, Mana kneeled, working on her magic.

"I have a feeling I know who." Anzu said.

The Dark Magician Girl joined Mahado.

"Go to the Pharaoh and leave the zombies to us!" Mahado said to the five.

Yugi and everyone gathered around Yami, who was lying weak on the ground.

"I knew you'd all return." He said. "Thank you."

Everyone helped him up.

Zorc prepared another fireball to shoot at the six friends.

Mahado and the Dark Magician Girl saw him and sent their combined Dark Magic Attacks at Zorc.

But Zorc was unaffected. So he threw the fireball at the two magicians, who barely managed to fly out of the way.

Yami's arm was thrown around Joey's neck and he helped him stand.

"Yugi, did you manage to find my name?" Yami asked.

"Yeah." Yugi said hesitantly.

"What is it?" Yami asked.

Zorc laughed. "These humans may have found the location of your real name, but they were unable to read it since it's written in a language unfamiliar to them!" He said.

"Is this true?" Yami asked.

"It…is." Yugi said reluctantly. "We made it through your tomb, and found the name on the back wall. But it was carved in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics."

"Name or no name, I've got some butt to kick!" Joey said and ordered the Red-Eyes Black Dragon to attack Zorc.

Honda ordered his monster to attack as well.

But Zorc destroyed both monsters.

Joey was left with 1600 life points and Honda was left with 2800.

The two twitched painfully.

"Are you alright?" Yugi asked Joey.

Zorc then destroyed Kanya and Anzu's monsters, leaving Kanya with 1800 life points and Anzu 3000 life points.

"This is a little more painful than dueling back home." Honda said.

"What makes you think that? The fact that we're all doubled over in pain?" Joey asked sarcastically.

"The zombies are back." Yami pointed out.

They surrounded Mahado and the Dark Magician Girl.

"The fate of the future depends on us." Mahado said. "And we'll fight to the end!"

Suddenly, another Magician joined the two other magicians.

And two other monsters flew over to the gang.

"'Ey! Where did these guys come from?" Joey asked.

Yami looked at them.

"I don't know these two monsters…but the other one…that's Cat's Ka!" He said.

"Guys!"

Everyone turned around to see Cat, Kay and Kate running towards them.

Once they reached them, Kate hugged Yugi.

"Yugi-kun! I'm happy you're alright." She said.  
Yugi smiled. "Yeah, same goes for you." He said.

"We're here to help out." Kay said. "No matter how obvious that sounded."

"Great to see you all again!" Honda said with a smile.

"Same here." Cat said.

Mahado, The Dark Magician Girl and Magician's Valkyria combined their strength in their most power attack at Zorc.

They settled to the ground to wait and see if their attack worked.

But it was revealed as the smoke cleared that Zorc was still standing.

"I'm impervious to all attacks! Including yours!" Zorc said.

"We just blasted Zorc with all our strength! There's nothing more we can do." Mahado admitted.

Zorc then sent flames across the ground towards them.

The fire then consumed the three magicians.

"Pharaoh! I know you will defeat Zorc!" Mahado cried.

"Farewell!" The Dark Magician Girl said and the three monsters were destroyed.

Yugi cried out as his life points went down to 1500 with the Dark Magician's destruction.

Cat also cried out in pain and fell to her knees when her Magician's Valkyria was destroyed.

And back at the palace, Mana gasped and fell to the ground.

Zorc stood over the Pharaoh and the others.

"I'll send you all to the Shadows one at a time!" He said and quickly destroyed the two remaining monsters, Black Luster Soldier and Hyozanryu.

"We have to figure out a way to tell the Pharaoh what his name is!" Anzu said and Kate and Kay both fell to their knees in pain.

"Nothing can save you now!" Zorc said. "Surrender to the darkness!"

"We're not giving up!" Yugi said. "We'll find a way to tell the Pharaoh his name so he can lock you away!"

"But how?" Yami wondered. He pushed himself up and his cartouche fell out from under his robe.

Anzu spotted it and gasped, remembering giving it to him so he could put his real name on it so he wouldn't forget it again.

"Everyone! Concentrate on those symbols and make them appear on the cartouche!" She said.

"You're right!" Yugi said.

Everyone put their hands together and concentrated on the symbols.

"You've been a nuisance to me long enough!" Zorc cried and prepared to attack again.

Kaiba, who was on the ground not too far off, lifted his head and saw everyone surrounding Yami.

The cartouche began to glow. "It's working!" Yami said.

Everyone continued to concentrate on Yami's name.

"It's too late!" Zorc cried and blasted another fireball at them.

But suddenly, Kaiba's ring of Defense appeared, deflecting the blast.

Kaiba stood before Zorc, his Duel Disk still on his arm.

As the cartouche glowed, Cat looked down and noticed her's was glowing as well.

The hieroglyphics on the back of the cartouche were glowing and they flew over to Yami's cartouche.

"That's right…Ishizu said his name was on the back of my cartouche!" She said to herself.

Furious, Zorc sent a wall of flame at Kaiba.

The fire burned through his Ring of Defense and threw Kaiba back.

Everyone was engulfed in smoke.

"It's over." Zorc said.

But when the smoke cleared…Yami stood there holding his cartouche. His name was engraved on the cartouche. He held it up.

"It worked!" He said, astonished as it glowed.

"Did it work?" Anzu asked.

"Do you know what your name is?" Yugi asked.

"Yes…" Yami said. "My ancient name has been revealed! I am King Atemu!"

Light shone all around him and Zorc recoiled.

Atemu's father appeared beside him. "You now have the power to defeat the Dark One." He said.

"How?" Atemu asked.

"Call forth the light of the three Egyptian Gods to swallow the darkness." Aknamkanon replied.

Atemu then called for the Gods of Egypt to revive.

Suddenly, Yugi's deck started to glow and red, blue and gold lights flew out.

The lights flew into the statues of the three Egyptian Gods and the monsters rose again!

"Will they win this time?" Kanya asked.

"Of course!" Honda said.

"Yeah! The Pharaoh knows what to do!" Yugi said.

"The Gods are powerless against me!" Zorc said. "The Pharaoh already tried and failed!"

"There's something I didn't do last time! Merge them together!" Atemu said.

The three Egyptian Gods joined to form the Creator of Light!

Atemu commanded the darkness begone!

The Creator of Light opened her eyes and beams of light flashed out, destroying the zombies and engulfing Zorc.

Zorc tried to grab Atemu in his fist, but the beams of light pulled him away. The light shone through him and then…destroyed him.


	88. The Final Journey

In the present, Rex and Weevil laid on the ground, along with the broken glass from blown-out windows.

Rex groaned.

"That wasn't…so bad." Weevil said.

"Yeah…other than the TORNADO damage and the LIGHTNING explosions, and the POISONOUS ACID RAIN!" Rex said.

* * *

The storm cleared over Egypt and the Kaiba jet flew into clear skies again.

"Now all we have to do is find Seto." Mokuba said.

* * *

The Creator of Light loomed over Egypt, bright with golden light.

"Is that is? The big shot, Lord of Darkness is gone?" Honda asked.

"Yup. Thanks to this bigger shot." Joey said.

"We can't forget to thank the Pharaoh…um…" Anzu said, trying to remember his name.

"Atemu!" Honda chimed in.

"It'll take a while to get used to that." Joey said.

"It's cool that after all these years, we finally know your real name!" Yugi said.

"It's all thanks to you all." Atemu said.

Cat looked at Atemu's name on the back of her cartouche.

"And after all this time I've had this…I finally know what the "mysterious" name is." She whispered to herself.

"What's next?" Kay asked.

"I don't know." Atemu said. "Wait for the next bad guy?"

"No." The Creator of Light said. "You have conquered the embodiment of evil from which all darkness is borne."

"So…I'm done?" Atemu asked.

"Not quite." The Creator of Light said. "But you're nearly fulfilled your destiny. That's why you returned to this world after three thousand years. So you could rescue your world from the inevitable return of the Shadow Games. Now there is only one task left for you to carry out before your spirit can return to its resting place."

And with that, The Creator of Light faded away.

"I can hardly believe that my journey is almost complete." Atemu said to himself. "Does this mean that when I accomplish my final mission, me and everyone will separate?"

"It's strange. I finally feel like my old self." Atemu said.

"_Ever since I solved the Millennium Puzzle, the Pharaoh's been sharing an identity with me. But now that he's regained his lost memories, he's ready to be himself._" Yugi thought to himself.

"Anzu, thank you for the cartouche. We couldn't have defeated Zorc without it." Atemu said. "And thank you to everyone else. If not for your help, I could have never fulfilled my destiny. You're all heroes."

"Yeah, I was brave!" Joey said with a silly grin.

"The Pharaoh was talking about me!" Honda said to Joey.

"Atemu meant everyone." Yugi said. "After all. We're a team!"

"I want to know when you geeks are going to stop giving that lame friendship speech." Kaiba said, walking up to them.

Kay frowned. "I want to know when you're going to stop being so rude!" She said.

"We'll stop when you stop pretending everything's a magic trick." Honda said to Kaiba.

"You can't deny this one. How do you explain that there are two Yugis standing here?" Joey asked Kaiba.

Kaiba sighed in defeat. "Maybe there is some truth to this junk." He grumbled.

"Did everyone hear what I heard? Kaiba admitted that this is all real!" Joey said.

"Nice try." Kaiba said. "It was all a mind trick."

"Hey!" Joey snapped and turned to the others. "Didn't you hear him?"

"Nope." They all said, laughing.

* * *

The Egyptian people gathered in their ruined land, picking up the rubble and repairing the damage.

Atemu stood with Seth on the balcony of the palace.

"The darkness has fallen, but the cost was high. Too many lives were lost." Atemu said, remembering Shimon, Karim, Shada, Mahado and Isis. "And it's not going to be easy, but this kingdom will return to its former glory. And you, Seth, will see to it that it occurs."

"What?" Seth asked, surprised.

Atemu turned to Seth. "I will be leaving this world. And you will take the throne." He said.

"B-but! I can't!" Seth protested.

"So let it be written, so let it be done." Atemu said.

"After everything we've been through, this kingdom needs a strong leader to move it ahead." Seth said.

"Yes. Who better to lead this new nation than you?" Atemu asked and turned to all his friends standing in the courtyard.

"_The truth is, I have no memory beyond this point, so I can no longer exist here._" He thought to himself.

Atemu turned back to Seth. "My time is running out." He said and began to turn transparent. "I'll soon join the Pharaohs who came before me, and you will rebuild the land of Egypt. Trust in the light in your soul."

"The light in my soul?" Seth repeated.

Atemu handed him the Millennium Puzzle as proof of his right to the throne.

"Seth, please preserve my father's dream and maintain peace in Egypt." He said.

"I will." Seth said with a nod and took the Puzzle as Atemu turned completely transparent and walked away.

The spirit Atemu joined Yugi and the others and they all stepped off the ground and began to fly back up to the Puzzle in the sky.

Mana waved to them. "I'LL MISS YOU! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!" She called to them.

Seth stood on the balcony, holding the Millennium Rod and Puzzle.

"Farewell…Pharaoh." He said as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared at his side.

* * *

Everyone laid on the ground of the cavern before the stone tablet.

One by one they slowly woke up.

"We're back." Kaiba said.

"I guess it's over." Anzu said.

Cat, Kay and Kate looked at themselves.  
"Huzzah! We're back to our normal selves." Kay said with a smile.

"The tablet must have returned us all back to the present." Kanya said.

"I hope so." Yugi said.

"Are you worried about Atemu?" Anzu asked Yugi.

"Is he still stuck ion the ancient past?" Joey asked.

Yugi held up the Puzzle.

"Pharaoh? Are you there?" He asked.

The Puzzle glowed and Atemu took over. "I'm right here, where I belong." He said.

Everyone nodded and smiled.

"You did it!" Anzu said.

"We all did it, together. Now the darkness unleashed by the Shadow Games so long ago is finally over." Atemu said.

Joey put his hands on Atemu's shoulders. "It only took you three thousand years! I'm glad I was there to help!" He said.

"Me too! A guy could get used to this saving the world thing." Honda jumped in.

"Oh? Tell me how getting possessed by an evil spirit was helping?" Joey asked.

"I have no comment on that." Honda said.

"Is that because you nearly destroyed the world as we knew it?" Joey asked.

"It's not like you weren't ever possessed before, Joey." Anzu pointed out. "Remember when you chained Yugi to an anchor and threatened to take over the world?"

"I have no comment on that." Joey said.

As everyone argued, Atemu thought to himself how much he was going to miss them.

Yugi appeared next to Atemu in spirit.

"Pharaoh…I mean, Atemu…I promise that one day, I'll get used to that name. It's hard to believe that after all these years, you have your memory back." He said.

"And it's thanks to you." Atemu said.

Kaiba looked at the Millennium Eye still in his hand. "Yugi. I think you'll be need thing this." He said and threw the Eye to him.

Atemu caught it and looked down at the Millennium Eye.

Kaiba began to walk away.

"Hey! Where did you get your hands on that?!" Joey asked. "You don't just chuck a Millennium Item at someone and walk away!"

Joey started to run after Kaiba, but just as they both reached the bottom of the stairs, they stopped at the sight of Bakura coming down the steps towards them.

"It's you!" Joey cried and everyone gathered around.

Bakura looked around, confused. "Where are we?" He asked.

Everyone's eyes widened.  
"Wait a second. I have a hunch this is the good Bakura." Joey said.

"The last thing I remember is hearing a strange voice and then…" Bakura started but stopped and swayed, and fell into Joey's arms.

"What's wrong?" Atemu asked.

"I…need…food." Bakura groaned and then passed out.

"I'm hungry too, but you don't see me passing out!" Joey said.

Honda helped Joey hold Bakura up.

"Yeah, we could all use a bite. After all, it has been three thousand years." He said.

Joey took the Millennium Ring from Bakura and handed it to Atemu.

Atemu took it. "Now that Zorc has vanished, so has the evil spirit of the Ring. Bakura is finally free." He said.

Joey and Honda carried Bakura up the steps and Anzu, Kay, Kate and Kanya followed to help.

Atemu remained in the cavern with Kaiba and Cat.

He noticed two more Millennium Items lying on the floor. The Millennium Key and Millennium Scale.

Atemu walked over and picked them up. "Shadi's items will finally be laid to rest. Thank you Shadi." He whispered and stood before the stone tablet.

"According to the inscription on this tablet, Seth went on to be a great Pharaoh in his own right. He kept my father's dream alive by maintaining peace in Egypt." He said to himself. "Knowing this, my spirit can finally enter its resting place."

Yugi's spirit appeared beside Atemu. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I think you know." Atemu said and turned to leave.

Kaiba had already went back upstairs but Cat waited for Atemu.

Atemu smiled at her and stopped in front of her.

"Thank you to you too. I saw it." He said.

Cat blinked in confusment. "Saw what?" She asked.

"When everyone was returning my name to me. I saw the hieroglyphics fly from your cartouche." Atemu replied and picked up her cartouche, showing her the back. "The "mysterious" name was my real name all along."

Cat blushed. "I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you that before. But Ishizu said I shouldn't tell anyone until the time was right. And…I guess when everyone was concentrating on the symbols…that was the right time." She said, embarrassed.

"No matter. It still helped save us all in the end." Atemu said and quickly kissed her cheek before heading back up the stairs.

Cat stood still and blushed brighter.

"B-But…I…didn't do that much." She said.

* * *

"Were you able to recover your lost memories?" Ishizu asked Atemu.

"Yes." Atemu replied.

"After three thousand years, our family's task is finally complete." Marik said.

"Yes. And the Millennium Items are gathered together at last." Ishizu again.

"And now I must seal them away forever." Atemu said. "So I can enter the spirit world.

"You're leaving us?" Anzu asked, upset.

"This is the final task of my mission." Atemu replied.

"I guess I always knew." Anzu said sadly. "You came back after all these years so you could regain your memories and save the world, and now that you've done that, you can finally rest."

Marik and Ishizu nodded to each other.

"Me and my brother can lead you to the final resting place of the seven Millennium Items." Ishizu said to Atemu.

"Do you mean the Millennium Stone?" Atemu asked.

"Yes. The inscription above the stone reads as follows: "To the spirit world thou may proceed, but first thou must complete this deed. Return the Items from whence they came, and speak aloud the Pharaoh's name." Are you ready for the final task?" Ishizu asked.

"Yes." Atemu said and switched places with Yugi.

"I'll guide you to the shrine of the spirit world." Ishizu said.

Cat finally made it to the top of the stairs.

Kay, Kate and Kanya were talking with each other. They all looked at Cat.

"Where have you been?" Kay asked.

"And why is your face red?" Kanya asked.

Cat twitched. "Huh? M-My face is red?" She asked.

The four girls walked up to her.

"Yeah it is." Kate said and put a hand on her forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

"What? No…" Cat said.

"OR…did something happen while you "two" were still down there?" Kay asked with a sly grin.

The four girls stared at Cat and there was a silence.

"D-DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!" Cat cried, embarrassed.

"Yeesh! Calm down!" Kay said, holding up her hands.

"We're all going to leave soon." Kanya said.

"Yes…Ishizu is going to take everyone to the door leading to the afterlife." Kay said.

Cat looked a little sad and smiled a small sad smile. "Yes…I know." She said.

* * *

They all arrived at the docks of a seaport.

"Couldn't we just fly to this shrine on a plane?" Joey asked.

"The sanctuary can only be reached by boat." Ishizu said.

"We don't want to rush this." Honda said. "It's the last trip we'll ever take with the Pharaoh."

"Since when are you so sappy?" Joey asked.

Honda pointed to Cat and Anzu, who are both looking a little sad.

Joey put on a fake jolly face.

"I love boats! Who doesn't love boats?" He said with fake glee.

"Long ago, boats were believed to be the only vessels able to transport spirits to the world beyond. The ancient Egyptians believed that this spirit world existed in the west, where the sun sets." Ishizu said. "And so, the Pharaoh's court ordered the sanctuary to be built on an island west of Egypt."

"AHOY THERE, MATIES!"

Everyone looked to see Grandpa standing on the gangway of the ship with Mokuba and Duke behind him.

"Climb aboard!" Grandpa said.

Grinning, Yugi took off towards them with everyone behind him.

Mokuba ran past them and leapt onto his brother.

"Seto!" He cried happily.

"We've been bored out of our minds waiting for you." Duke said to Yugi.

"I didn't know you were coming." Yugi said.  
"Ever since you left for Egypt, there's been a voice inside my head asking how could I miss such a momentous event in my grandson's life!" Grandpa said.

"With Grandpa hearing voices in his head, I thought I should come along too." Duke said. "And when we got there, we ran into Mokuba at the airport."

Mokuba still held onto Kaiba. "My brother left without telling anyone, so me and Roland tracked him down." He said.

"I didn't know I had to report every move I made to my little brother." Kaiba said.

Mokuba grinned.  
"You better not do it again! Or I'll take over Kaiba Corp. and make you work for me." He laughed.

"Did you really come all this way just to keep Gramps company?" Joey asked Duke.

"It's not like anyone invited me, so I invited myself. After everything we've been through it would have been nice to get a phone call." Duke said.

"I'm sorry. I had a lot going on." Yugi apologized.

"Grandpa filled me in on the flight over, so I understand." Duke said. "And while we were waiting for you to show up, I took the liberty of explaining to everyone else you forgot to call."

* * *

Far away, Pegasus stood in his office in the Industrial Illusions building. He was looking out the window.

"Yugi-boy has finally done it. Everything I spent my life creating has been leading up to this. From the moment I received the Millennium Eye, from the moment I recreated the ancient Shadow Games in the form of Duel Monsters. It was fate's hand guiding me to set the stage for the Pharaoh's final journey home. But I wasn't the only one led by fate. Every person the Pharaoh encountered along the way was destined to play a role in his journey and I'm willing to bet most of them didn't even know it." He said to himself.

Mai sat in her car, parked along a canal.

Rebecca stood in front of her trailer as her grandfather walked up beside her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Each individual, no matter how utterly clueless, was a necessary piece needed to complete the puzzle of the Pharaoh's life." Pegasus continued.

Rex and Weevil walked together in a city, along the broken glass and rubble from the recent battle with Zorc.

"Weird fisherman duelists…"

Mako emerged from the water along a rocky shoreline with a fish on his spear.

"Or annoying mousy little girls…"

Serenity, Joey's sister, paused as she walked along a sidewalk and looked up.

"All these people have one thing in common. Each one is connected by a young man named, "Yugi-boy"."

Amelda stood on the ruin of a factory.

Valon stopped his motorcycle on a paved path at the side of the ocean.

Rafael stood before an Arc.

They all paused to look up into the sky.

Vivian Wong looked up while eating a bowl of noodles and Leon stood on the balcony of his castle home.

"Not only did these individuals help Yugi, but in tun, Yugi touched each of their lives, as well." Pegasus finished.

* * *

It was sunset as the ship carried everyone.

Everyone stood at the railing.

"Thanks everyone…for being there." Yugi said.

"Of course!" Anzu said.

"Enough already." Kaiba grumbled.

Kay lightly punched his shoulder. "Enough already with the bad attitude." She said.

Joey turned to Kaiba.

"Why you still hanging around for anyway?" He asked.

"We have our reasons." Mokuba said and paused, looking at Kaiba. "Um…what are our reasons again?"

Kaiba didn't answer and leaded against the bulkhead.

Yugi turned to Kaiba as well. "Why did you come?" He asked.

"Although he'd never admit it, Kaiba is here for the same reason you're all here. To witness the Pharaoh's final rite of passage." Ishizu said.

"So Kaiba DOES believe!" Joey said.

"Before we go any further, there's something else you should know." Marik said to Yugi.

"There's another ancient passage inscribed above the Millennium Stone, which mentions a battle ritual."

"A battle?" Yugi asked.

"In order for the Pharaoh to enter the spirit world, he must first face off against a worthy opponent in battle…and lose." Marik explained.

"What kind of battle do you mean?" Joey asked.

"In ancient times, this referred to a battle with swords, but today we duel one another with cards." Marik said.

"A duel!" Yugi exclaimed as Atemu stood next to him in spirit.

"Exactly." Atemu said. "I must lose in a game of Duel Monsters."

"I don't get what the challenge is in losing a duel." Yugi said.

"Winning is easy for the Pharaoh. But being able to accept defeat is probably the greatest test of his character there is." Duke pointed out.

"Duke may have a point. But where will we find a duelist who's good enough to beat the Pharaoh?" Anzu wondered.

* * *

That night, everyone was still standing by the railing.

"This really takes me back. Doesn't it just seem like yesterday we were all on a boat like this headed for Duelist Kingdom?" Joey asked.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed.

"I've come a long way since then, and, given a chance, I could kick the Pharaoh's butt!" Joey said.

Everyone looked surprised.

"I'd like a shot against the Pharaoh." Joey said.

"It's too risky." Yugi said.

"You'd lose." Anzu added in.

"Yeah, there's no chance." Duke said.

Joey didn't look too happy about the lack of support.

"Someone's gotta beat the Pharaoh! So why not me?" Joey snapped.

Kaiba walked up. "You're a joke." He said to Joey and then look at Yugi as Mokuba came up behind him with his suitcase. "I've been waiting for this moment for years. I'll challenge you to the ultimate duel!"

Yugi only stood there.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Joey jumped in front of Yugi.

"Hey! I was in line first!" He said.

Kaiba only pushed Joey out of the way. "I don't believe in all this ancient Egyptian nonsense, and I never did! But I deserve a shot against Yugi." He said.

Yugi frowned. "You mean the Pharaoh. It does make sense…after all, you and the Pharaoh have had a rivalry going on ever since the Pharaoh showed up in this world." He said.

"Then let's do this." Kaiba said.

"No…I've already decided I'm going to duel the Pharaoh." Yugi said.

Everyone reacted in shock.

"Yug, I don't think you can." Joey said.

"This duel will be a test for me too." Yugi said.

Joey put a hand on Yugi's shoulder.

"You can't play a duel against yourself." Joey said.

"I don't plan to." Yugi said.

Kaiba then angrily grabbed Yugi by the collar and lifted him up.

"I'm not going to stand here and watch you give a title shot to your imaginary friend!" He snapped.

"Kaiba! Drop him!" Joey said.

"Let him go and calm down!" Kay added in.

"This is something I know I need to do! And deep down, you know it too!" Yugi said.

They two stared at each other for a moment before Kaiba let go of Yugi.

Yugi held onto this throat and coughed while Kate and Joey hovered over him.

Kaiba turned to Mokuba.

Mokuba nodded and opened the suitcase, revealing hundreds of Duel Monster cards.

"I don't know what kind of stunt you're pulling, but if you're going to be dueling, you may as well build yourself a real deck." Kaiba said to Yugi.

Yugi smiled.

"That's a pretty impressive collection. But I won't be needing it. I'll be sticking with my usual deck. The Pharaoh and I built it together. So it's only fitting I use it." He said.

"That makes sense." Joey said.

"If you want to lose." Kaiba sneered and walked away, muttering about a waste of time.

Mokuba closed the suitcase and followed him.

"Enjoy the cruise Kaiba!" Yugi called after him.

Kay sighed. "He's going to be sulking. I'm going to go try to lighten his mood a little." She said and followed Kaiba.

* * *

Anzu walked through the halls, heading to Yugi's room. She turned a hallway and stopped when she saw Cat.

Anzu frowned a little.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I was going to check on Yugi to see if he needed anything." Cat replied.

Anzu's frown didn't leave.

"Is that so?" She said and started to walk past Cat.

"Anzu…wait." Cat said.

Anzu stopped and turned around.

"What?" She asked.

Cat turned to face her. "Anzu…I know…that you don't like me very much." She said and took Anzu's hands. "Because of my connection with the Pharaoh…right? I'm sorry…and I don't want it to end like this…because after the Pharaoh leaves. I have to leave as well. Ishizu told me. And I don't want to leave with anyone having any bitter feelings. So…do you think…"

"Alright." Anzu said. Cat stopped and blinked. "I understand. I'm sorry for everything I did out of jealously."

"Huh? You did something out of jealousy?" Cat asked and let go of her hands.

Anzu sweatdropped. "Um…remember in the virtual world? When you, uh…"tripped"?" She asked.

Cat sweatdropped as well. "Oh…that…that was you?" She asked.

"Yeah…" Anzu said. "I'm sorry about that."

"Eh…no…it's okay." Cat said with a weak smile. "So…should we visit Yugi together?"

Anzu nodded.

They reached Yugi's room and knocked on the door.

Yugi was sitting at the table, going through his cards.

"Come in." He said.

Cat and Anzu walked in.

"Oh, hey guys! What's up?" Yugi asked with a smile.

"As the self-appointed cruise directors, we thought we'd tell you that we arrive tomorrow." Anzu said.

They spotted the cards on the table.

"I see you're getting ready for your duel against the Pharaoh." Cat said.

"Yes. It's like my final gift to him before he leave us forever." Yugi said.

"I get it!" Anzu shouted and stopped, looking sad. "I guess I don't want to see him go."

"I don't either, but it's time for the Pharaoh to move on. Besides, if I win, then it means I'm ready to separate from the Pharaoh too." Yugi said.

"He's right…but that doesn't make it any easier." Anzu thought to herself.

"Anzu, are you okay?" Yugi asked.

Anzu put on a smile. "Everything's great!" She said quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She left.

Cat looked at Yugi sadly. "I think…she wanted to say goodbye to the Pharaoh." She said.

Yugi looked down at the Millennium Puzzle. "Yeah…sorry Anzu." He said.

Anzu leaned against the door.

"I know this is what's best for the Pharaoh. He doesn't belong in this world, and now that he has his memory back, he can finally be free. But…secretly, I keep hoping Yugi will lose, so the Pharaoh has to stay." She thought to herself as tears streamed down her face. "Even…I know…he doesn't love me…as much as I hate to admit it…he loves "her"."

* * *

Cat left a while ago as Yugi continued to go through his cards.

"Before I solved the Millennium Puzzle, I was a completely different person. Timid, shy and lonely. I remember putting the last piece of the Puzzle into place, and releasing the Pharaoh's spirit. Ever since that day, when the Pharaoh and me joined together, I've been strong and confident. If I win the duel tomorrow, I'll prove that I'm ready to face the world on my own. All I have to do is remember everything the Pharaoh taught me. I can do this!" He thought to himself.

* * *

Joey was still outside at the railing, alone.

Honda and Duke soon came to join him.

"We've been looking for you." Honda said.

"Are you still down in the dumps about not getting to duel the Pharaoh? You should probably let it go." Duke said.

"Being on this boat has made me do a lot of thinking about the last few years. A lot has changed since I met the Pharaoh. He taught me that, even if the odds are against you, you have to keep fighting and never give up, no matter what. But there's someone whose life he changed even more." Joey said.

"Yeah…Yugi's life." Honda said.

"That's why Yugi needs to be the one to duel the Pharaoh. To see if he's finally ready to be on his won." Joey said.

"You're a lot smarter than you look." Honda said.

"What's that supposed ta mean?" Joey asked, annoyed.

* * *

Kaiba sat in his room, staring out the window with his arms crossed.

"_So let's say this Pharaoh does exist._" He thought to himself. "_And he's the reason Yugi's been winning duels all these years. Then how on earth is a twerp like Yugi going to defeat the true King of Games?_"

* * *

Bakura was in his room, cheerfully chowing down on a tableful of food.

* * *

Grandpa laid in bed and Ishizu turned in her own bed.

Odion sat, looking out the window and Marik laid in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Kate was sleeping and Kanya laid in her own bed, awake.

Kay was sitting, reading a book..


	89. Eternal Snow

Dawn lit up the sky and the ship sailed into port.

Atemu was working on his own deck after Yugi had finished his.

"It's complete." He said. "I succeeded in building my strongest deck ever. Now the time has come to put it to the test. Yugi, it's time to duel!"

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in." Atemu said.

Cat walked in and shut the door behind her. "Morning." She said with a smile and walked up to him. "Are you ready for this? We've reached land."

Atemu stood up and nodded. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He said.

"That's great." Cat said and smiled a sad smile.

There was a silence between the two and Atemu stared at Cat.

"Ca-" Cat cut him off.

"Atemu-kun…ever since you and I first met…when we agreed to work together, it was the start of a beautiful friendship. But I hardly feel like I've helped you at all. And now it's to the point I can't do much to repay you." Cat said.

"You've helped me more than you think." Atemu said.

"Well…not as much as I wished I could have." Cat said and looked down.

"Cat?" Atemu asked.

"I-I'm sorry." Cat said and looked up with tears coming down her face. "I guess…I never…deep down…wanted us to be apart."

Atemu's expression softened and Cat laughed lightly as she moved her hands up to wipe her tears. "I'm sorry…I'm crying again. Even though I told myself a million times I wouldn't." She said.

Without another word, Atemu pulled her into a secure embrace.

"No…it's okay to cry. If you feel like you have the need to, then go ahead. Holding back tears isn't what makes us stronger." Atemu said, holding her tight.

Cat shook lightly as she gripped his arms and the tears wouldn't stop.

"Cat…I'm sure you probably already knew, but…I love you. So much." Atemu said softly. "And even when I'm gone…just know…I'll always be with you. I promise."

At that moment, Cat felt her heart skip a beat…before it felt like something had happened within her heart. A stabbing pain filled her heart...the fact that she loved him so much...and the pain over the fact that she was never going to see him...ever again.

* * *

The ship docked and Atemu stepped out onto the gangway, surprised to see everyone else already on the dock, waiting for him.

"Let's get this duel on the road!" Joey cried happily.

Yami nodded and started down the gangway.

Ishizu lead Yugi and everyone through the desert to a trapdoor leading down to the Shrine of the Millennium Stone.

"This duel is going to be awesome!" Honda said as they walked down the steps to the underground cavern.

"Yeah! Yugi versus the Pharaoh is as good as it gets!" Joey agreed while Cat and Anzu didn't look too happy.

Anzu stopped when they reached a landing.

Honda stopped next to her. "What's up?" He asked.

"Do you need to use the little girl's room?" Joey asked.

"Not quite." Anzu said. "I was just wondering why we had to rush into this so soon. This could be our final chance to hang out with the Pharaoh before he leaves us for good."

"That's right…I was so pumped up for the duel, I forgot it might be the Pharaoh's last one." Honda said.

"Yeah." Yugi agreed sadly.

"I know how difficult this must be, but Yugi and the Pharaoh must carry out the battle ritual as quickly as possible. If too much time passes, our window of opportunity will close." Ishizu said.

"Anzu, I know how you feel…but this is what's best for the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh doesn't belong in our world. And now he finally has the chance to go home." Yugi said.

"You're right. So let's do this." Anzu said.

"Anzu, you're one of the bravest people I've ever met. And I just want to say I'm proud." Joey said.

"If you dorks start holding each other's hands I'm outta here." Kaiba said. "I didn't come to listen to your lame friendship speeches."

"Maybe if you had some friends, you wouldn't feel that way." Joey said.

Yugi watched, smiling.

"Joey, that was harsh." Honda said.

"Kaiba deserved it!" Joey said.

"Let's go." Yugi said.

They continued down the steps until they finally reached the cavern where the Millennium Stone lied before a doorway carved with the Eye of Wdjat.

"That's it!" Yugi said. "The resting place of the seven Millennium Items."

Ishizu walked up to the stone and Yugi followed, kneeling before the stone with his bag of Millennium Items. Ishizu kneeled beside him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Before the ritual can begin, the Items must be returned to the Stone from whence they came." She said. "They Eye of Wdjat will then peer into Yugi's soul, thus unraveling the Pharaoh's spirit from Yugi's. If you accept the terms of the ritual, you must place the seven Millennium Items within the stone."

Ishizu stood up.

Yugi nodded and took the Items to the Stone and began placing them in their places.

He placed all the Items in place and then stopped, looking at the Puzzle in his hands, remembering the wish he made on it. His wish did come true. He turned to look at his friends. And turned back to the Puzzle.

"And thanks to the Pharaoh, I'm ready to give it back." Yugi said and placed the Puzzle in the final spot.

The Items began to glow and waves of light flashed around the Stone as Yugi stood before it.

A light shone from the Eye of Wdjat onto Yugi.

"I suppose that's supposed to happen?" Joey asked.

"The Eye is gazing deep within, searching for the spirit that dwells in Yugi's mind." Ishizu explained.

Yugi raised his arm, activating his duel disk.

"Once they're separated, the ultimate duel can begin!" Ishizu added in.

Yugi's shadow suddenly separated, showing two distinct figures on the floor.

"What's the deal?" Honda asked.

"The true nature of Yugi's spirit has been revealed." Ishizu said.

And then, Yugi split into two!

"I'm seeing double!" Joey said.

"No…it's the Pharaoh." Grandpa said.

"No way!" Mokuba cried.

"Atemu…"Anzu mummered.

Atemu and Yugi glanced at each other and then turned to walk to opposite sides of the cavern.

"Yugi! Go get 'em!" Honda called. "You too Pharaoh!"

"Which one are we supposed to root for?" Kanya asked.

"If the Pharaoh wins, he can stay, and then we won't have to say goodbye." Anzu said.

"But we've got to root for Yugi." Joey said. "It's the only way to set the Pharaoh's spirit free."

"Your right." Anzu said sadly. "I should want what's best for the Pharaoh…and that's for his spirit to move on. I have to be strong."

"It's time." Marik said.

"The battle to determine their destinies will now begin." Ishizu said.

"They're about to find out who the true King of Games are." Kaiba said and everyone watched.

"Are you ready for this?" Atemu asked Yugi.

"That's what we're here to find out." Yugi said.

The duel began.

(Sorry, not going to write out the whole duel. That was be very long and very boring.)

* * *

Atemu smiled as he lost the duel.

Yugi fell to his knees, tears spilling onto the ground. Atemu walked up to him. "Congratulations." He said and kneeled in front of Yugi, putting a hand on his shoulder. "A champion doesn't belong on his knees. You've achieved a great victory for us both."

"I was focusing so hard on playing the game, that I forgot what winning this duel would actually mean." Yugi said, still weeping. "By defeating you, I've sent you away for good."

"No…you've opened the door for me. Thanks to you, my spirit can finally be at rest. I'll be back where I belong. Fate brought us together for a reason, and we fulfilled our destiny." Atemu said.

Yugi looked up at Atemu.

"We've protected mankind from the return of the Shadow Games, and we've both grown tremendously along the way." Atemu continued as they both stood up.

"I'll miss you." Yugi said.

"We'll never truly be apart. The gift of kindness you've given me, and the gift of courage I've given you, will remain with us and forever." Atemu said.

The Eye of Wdjat in the doorway began to glow.

"Now that the battle ritual is complete, the Eye of Wdjat that guards the gate to the spirit world has awakened. And the spirit of the great Pharaoh, which was trapped within the Millennium Puzzle for three thousand years, is now free." Ishizu said.

Cat was silent ever since they arrived to the cavern. She just couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Atemu stood before the door.

"So this is it?" Anzu asked.

"Pharaoh…tell the Eye of Wdjat your name." Ishizu said.

"I am the son of King Aknamkanon. My name is Atemu." Atemu said.

The door then slid open and light shone through it onto Atemu's face.

Atemu stepped towards the light.

Everyone cried out his name and he stopped.

"Don't go!" Anzu cried.

"So this is how it ends? You think you can just show up and change everybody's lives and then just leave?" Honda protested and covered his eyes with his hands.

Yugi wiped his tears with his sleeve. "What Honda means is that we don't want to say goodbye." He said.

"Yes! I know that walking through that door means your spirit will finally be free, and it's all for the best, but it doesn't seem fair! I feel that we were all just getting to know you! In fact, you were just beginning to get to know yourself and now you're being taken away from us!" Anzu cried. "I know we should be happy for you, but it's hard to do when you're losing your best friend, and you don't understand why it has to be that way!"

"I guess there are some things we're not supposed to understand. Just look at me. I go through half my life not understanding what's going on!" Joey said and started to cry. "I know that true friends may be hard to leave, but they're impossible to forget! And even though the Pharaoh's stay wasn't as long as we wanted, we're lucky we knew him at all!"

"Thank you Joey." Atemu said with a smile.

"Goodbye…and good luck." Anzu said.

"I hate to break the news to ya, but you're not going anywhere! Because everything you've given us is staying right here in our hearts!" Joey called after him with a smile. "Even over thousands of years, you'll always be our friend!"

Atemu turned to him, smiling. "Right!" He said.

"Like they always say! "It's your move"!" Yugi said.

Atemu gave them a thumbs up and continued to walk into the light.

Everyone watched silently.

Tears ran down Cat's face again as she watched him take each step towards the doorway. She felt her hands shake at her sides.

"_He's…he's leaving._"

Atemu was getting closer to the doorway and Cat shut her eyes tightly.

"_No!_"

"Atemu!" Cat cried out and dashed towards him.

Everyone was shocked by Cat's sudden outburst.

Cat finally reached Atemu and hugged him from behind, tightly, crying on the back of his jacket.

Atemu had stopped, surprised. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment, at Cat.

"Don't go…" Cat whimpered through tears. "Please don't leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye."

Atemu turned his head foreword again and looked down sadly.

"Cat…" Yugi started.

"Atemu…" Cat said sadly and hugged him tighter. "I-I love you. I don't want to say goodbye when I just realized how I felt."

Atemu smiled and made her let go; turning around to face her.

"Cat…you've made me the happiest man in the world. But it's true that it is bittersweet, isn't it?" He said.

Cat only held onto his hands, letting her tears continue to flow.

"Cat…I'm sorry I won't be able to be there for you anymore…and it hurts me as much as it does you." Atemu said. "But no matter where I am. Here on Earth, or the afterlife, I will always love you and only you."

Cat looked up at him.

"And I you." She said quietly.

Atemu stroked her face with one hand.

"May I?" He asked.

Cat nodded.

Atemu smiled at her and leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips.

Cat blushed as she shut her eyes.

Everyone looked a little surprised.

Anzu was frowning at them, but sighed and let her anger subside.

Others such as Yugi, Kay, Kate, Kanya, Joey, ect. were smiling as they tried to wipe away their tears.

They felt sad that the two couldn't be together, but touched by their actions.

Atemu pulled back and the two looked at each other in the eyes for a moment.

"Please be happy." Atemu said softly to Cat as he began to move away from her, his hand slipping from her's slowly.

"Goodbye Atemu…I love you." Cat whispered.

Atemu gave her one last smile before turning and walking towards the doorway again.

Just as Atemu stepped through the door, his clothing and appearance changed back to his ancient Pharaoh self. And beyond him, his friends and family appeared, waiting for him.

The door began to slide closed and Anzu started to run toward it, but Joey stopped her with his hand on her shoulder. He shook his head.

The door slammed shut and Atemu was gone.

"Goodbye." Yugi said.

Just then, the pillars holding up the chamber began to shake and crumble.

"What's that?" Bakura asked.

"It's an earthquake!" Duke said.

"It's the Millennium Stone!" Yugi said.

Dust streamed from the stone as it crumbled, falling deep into the ground and taking the Millennium Items with it.

"The Millennium Items are gone!" Yugi exclaimed.

"We should be gone too!" Joey cried.

Everyone ran to the stairway as the walls cracked and the pillars crumbled.

At the rear of the cavern, by the fallen stone, the spirit of Shadi watched.

Everyone gathered outside the underground cavern and watched the dust settle.

"Now that the Pharaoh has returned to the next world, the Millennium Items have been permanently sealed. And our duty as the Pharaoh's tombkeepers is finally complete." Ishizu said.

"So this is the end?" Honda asked. "It feels weird."

"Yeah." Joey said.

"What were you geeks expecting?" Kaiba asked.

"Well, I was hoping for fireworks, sappy music…something!" Joey said. "Yug, at least make one of your little wrap-up speeches!"

"Sometimes the end of one adventure is just the beginning of another." Yugi said.

"Much better." Joey said.

Everyone looked up at the sky.

They all stopped when they heard a gasp.

Everyone looked at Cat.

She was looking at herself; her body was turning transparent.

"Wha-what's happening?" She asked.

You're returning to your home. I don't know why you were brought here in the first place…I believe it was to help the Pharaoh fulfill his destiny. But it's now complete…and you're returning home." Ishizu said.

"Aw, MAN! We're losing friends all over the place!" Joey cried.

"So…I guess this is my goodbye too." Cat said. "Yugi, Mr. Muto, thank you for everything. And thank you for taking such good care of me. Joey, Honda, Duke, Anzu, thank you for being my friend. Kay, thank you for always being there for me like a sister. Kate and Kanya, thank you for being my friend as well. And I wish you luck with your guys. And thank you to everyone else. I hope…this isn't the last time I'll ever see you guys."

Everyone smiled.

They all said goodbye as the girl completely faded away.

* * *

Grandpa swept the sidewalk in front of the game shop as Yugi rushed out.

"I'm leaving now!" Yugi said and took off.

"Take care!" Grandpa called after him.

Joey, Honda and Anzu were waiting for Yugi.

"Good Morning!" They call said to each other and Yugi ran over, happily joining them.

"You're late again!" Joey said teasingly.

Yugi laughed apologetically.

Yugi then looked up and smiled.

This wasn't the tale of a great Pharaoh. Everyone has their own story. This story may be ending, but my story is just beginning.

The four friends walked towards the sunrise to school.

Knowing they would never forget…

* * *

"Ms. Tsuru…I have to admit…you've been acting really strange lately."

The singing teacher looked at Cat, worriedly.

"I know you never sang much in class in the first place…but now…you're not singing at all. And you've looked so depressed lately." The teacher said.

"I'm sorry." Cat said quietly. "It's just…I…haven't been able to get myself to sing..."

"Is there something you'd like to share with me? Getting whatever it is off your chest may help." The teacher said.

Cat gripped her silver cartouche tightly.

"No…no matter what effect it has on me…I refuse to let it off my chest." She replied.

"Okay. Only if you say so. But I was told to ask you if you wanted to sing for the kids that are graduating. Do you want to?" The teacher asked.

Cat was silent for a moment. "Is it okay if I think about it?" Cat asked.

"That's fine. But I need an answer by tomorrow." The teacher said.

"Yes, ma'am." Cat said.

* * *

Cat walked home silently.

It had been three days since she returned home.

She would always think about her adventures with her friends and Atemu.

And how embarrassed she felt when she ran up to him and hugged him from behind.

But when he told her he loved her…he asked for an answer sometime.

So she gave it to him.

She wasn't able to sleep as well as she used to. Almost all of her dreams had Atemu in it and it only made her more depressed.

Cat rubbed her forehead and stopped.

She spotted the new arcade that was built recently. She stared at it wondering if they had…"one of those".

Walking in eagerly, people were walking about, playing games and having fun.

Cat did her best to try and block the memories of her and her friends back in Domino City, having fun at the Domino arcade.

She scanned the area and smiled.

There it was. A karaoke machine.

She walked over and looked at the last singer. She was a girl that was in her singing class. She was with her friends. Cat suddenly felt hesitant. But shrugged it off and got on the stage when it was her turn.

She noticed the girl and her friends beginning to mummer and whisper to each other.

Cat sighed and told herself to calm down.

She remembered when Atemu would ask her to sing for him.

He would have wanted her to sing without shame or fear. And it she was going to do it.

Cat picked a song and held onto the microphone nervously as the karaoke began to play.

When it was her turn…she began to sing, "My heart will go on".

_Every night in my dreams_

_I see you, I feel you,_

_That is how I know you go on_

_Far across the distance_

_And spaces between us_

_You have come to show you go on_

_Near, far, wherever you are_

_I believe that the heart does go on_

_Once more you open the door_

_And you're here in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on_

_Love can touch us one time_

_And last for a lifetime_

_And never let go till were gone_

_Love was when I loved you_

_One true time I hold to_

_In my life well always go on_

_Near, far, wherever you are_

_I believe that the heart does go on_

_Once more you open the door_

_And you're here in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on_

_You're here, there's nothing I fear,_

_And I know that my heart will go on_

_Well stay forever this way_

_You are safe in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on_

Cat sang fully and full of emotion.

She sang harder than she ever had before. That song basically was how she felt.

She did believe Atemu was with her…he promised. So she wasn't afraid.

Cat raised her head a bit and stared at the lights for a moment as the crowd that had came stared at her and the music began to fade.

When the music was gone, she put down the microphone and quietly left the stage.

The audience cheered loudly and some people asked her to sing again.

But Cat didn't notice them. It was as if she couldn't hear them.

Once she was alone, she leaned against the wall and gasped for breath.

She put a lot of energy in that song and it was enough to make her sweat and feel worn out. She covered her eyes with one hand as she felt warm tears coming. But she refused to let them leave.

* * *

"Ms. Tsuru, have you decided yet?" Cat's singing teacher asked her the next day.

"Yes. And the answer is yes. I'd love to sing for the graduates." Cat replied with a smile. She wasn't as depressed anymore. It was almost as if all that depression was released through the song she sang at the arcade yesterday.

"Wonderful! Have you chosen a song to sing?" The teacher asked.

"I have, actually. It's called "Myself"." Cat said.

The song "Myself" was a song that she sang a lot. But she wanted to sing a happier song and a song she really loved. Plus, she had sang it for Atemu before...

"Really! I look forward to it. The concert will be next week." The singing teacher said.

Cat nodded.

* * *

Nighttime.

"Cat! It's time for bed!" Cat's mother called.

"I know!" Cat called in reply, slipping into bed just after she put her pajama's on.

Turing her light out, she took off her silver cartouche and placed it on a nearby desk. Sighing, she gently put her fingers to her lips, remembering the goodbye kiss she and Atemu had shared.

Cat felt her eyes brim with tears again. She would give anything to be with her friends in Domino…and to have Atemu come back.

Curling up into a comfortable position in her bed, she shut her eyes tightly.

"Atemu…how are you right now? I hope you're doing okay." She whispered.

"I still love you."

* * *

The celebration for the graduates came sooner than Cat had thought.

Her mind would still wonder back to Atemu once in a while, but she was growing closer with her old friends. Which kept her distracted. But sometimes they made her think of her friends in Domino, and she would remember how much she missed them as well.

Cat stood backstage. She was to sing in two minutes.

She wasn't nervous or worried. She knew the song by heart.

It was when they told her she was to go on stage now that she realized that the song represented her feelings for Atemu.

But she quickly shook her head hard.

"No! I can't allow for sadness! And I won't be weak again!" She said and nodded to herself before walking out on stage.

The spotlight shined on her and she stood in front of the microphone as people in their seats started to hush and watch.

"This song is called "Myself". I don't think many people are familiar with it. But…it represents how I feel for someone. Someone very special…that I'll never see again. And it's one of my favorite songs." Cat laughed lightly. "I don't know why I was chosen to sing here…but I hope you enjoy the song anyways."

The music started and Cat was about to sing, but she stopped and missed her cue.

Her teacher stood at the side of the stage.

"Cat! What's wrong?" She whispered loudly as the music stopped playing and people waited for an explanation.

Cat stared at the back of the room. Were her eyes deceiving her?

"A…Atemu-kun?" She whispered to herself.

She saw Atemu standing in the back of the room, smiling at her.

But when she blinked again, he was gone.

"I should have known." She whispered to herself and spoke into the microphone. "I'm sorry about that. Something distracted me…can you start the music one more time?

The music started again and she started to sing.

_Why, oh why do I love you so much?_

_My tears overflow this much_

_Back in that time, there was so much to lose that I couldn't sing anything_

_A place just a little ways away-That was where I was_

_That day, deep in your eyes, I saw the loneliness_

_Are the two of us really alike?_

_If I'd realized it, you were always by my side_

_Why do I love you so much?_

_Your voice rings inside me so much it makes me sad_

_Just what was it that supported me so much?_

_From afar, I realize it now_

_Like a lost child, crying and searching_

_But there was no such thing as forever_

_"It's okay if you don't believe in anyone" you whispered_

_Were the two of us really alike?_

_And I decided then I would protect you_

_Why can't I turn them to memories?_

_You're too far, too near for me to reach_

_The more I tell myself "I will forget"_

_The larger you loom in my thoughts_

_Why do I love you so much?_

_Your voice rings (inside me) so much it makes me sad_

_Just what it was that supported me so much_

_I realize it now from afar_

_Why do I love you so much?_

_It's so easy I just can't answer_

She stopped singing and the music faded as everyone cheered.

Cat bowed lightly and walked off stage.

"Good job! What distracted you the first time?" Her teacher asked as Cat walked backstage.

"Um…n-nothing. Don't worry about it." Cat said and continued on.

* * *

Cat stood in the hallway, sipping a drink she got from the party.

The hallway was pretty empty. Cat just wanted to think.

Was what she saw really just a hallucination?

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps of a few people.

Before she knew it, she had four girls from her singing class, looming over her.

"Um…can I help you?" Cat asked.

"No, not really." One of them said.

"I want to know why you're holding back." Another said.

"Holding back?" Cat asked.

"We heard you sing at the karaoke machine yesterday. In class you're always holding back! And to be honest, that was fine with me. But it wasn't fine when you decided to come out and just start singing in public and everything!" The girl said.

"And why do you have a problem with that?" Cat asked.

"Because! I used to be the best singer until you came along! So after you came, I worked harder and harder and was slowly earning my reputation back, until you finally just decided to let it all out yesterday! I bet you just don't want to lose your title!" The girl snapped.

Cat held up her hands in defense. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I just sing because I love to sing and sing with a heart full of emotions that are real. I don't care about some title." She said calmly.

"Yeah, right. And the fact that you were talking about "someone special" was probably a lie too! Or your love was one-sided! Whatever it is, stop trying to grab attention!" The girl snapped before marching off with her friends.

Cat watched them leave. "What…on earth…was that all about?" She asked.

Shrugging, she sighed and finished her drink, throwing it away.

"Geez…I really don't want to deal with that abuse again."

"Is someone abusing you?"

"Well, kinda, these girls ar-"

Cat paused and bit her lip lightly. She thought to herself: _Do I dare to turn around?_

Slowly, she did and blue eyes met with amethyst eyes.

Cat put on a weak smile.

"So…I'm imagining this again, right? Just like before." She said.

Atemu smiled at her. "I'm afraid not." He said.

Cat wasn't sure what to do at that moment. But her body apparently knew, for she threw herself on him in a hug.

Atemu laughed and returned the embrace.

"Did you really miss me that much?" He asked.

"Of course!" Cat cried. "Did you really think I would forget you that easily?"

"I would hope not." Atemu chuckled.

"But…question…how…did you come here?" Cat asked.

"I'm not quite sure myself…but this is what I remember.

I was in the afterlife and apparently, according to some unknown person, I wasn't looking "happy". This person was only a voice though. They asked me if I had a wish. I said yes. And the voice said for ending the returning of the Shadow Games they would grant me that wish. And my wish was…to be with you again. I don't know if I remembered it right, but that's what I got." Atemu explained.

(A/N: That...was the best excuse I could come up with...Lol)

Cat smiled against his jacket. "I'm so happy." Was all she could say.

All of the sudden, Cat heard her cell phone ring.

The two pulled away and Cat answered it.

She moved outside with Atemu, because her phone would work better outside.

"Hello?" She asked.

OH MY GOSH! IT STILL WORKS!"

Cat had to hold her phone away from her ear.

"Um? Who is this?" She asked.

"WHAT?! You've forgotten me already? That's like, the rudest thing ever! It's me! Kay!"

"K-Kay-chan!? H-how were you able to get a hold of me?" Cat asked.

"Well, I wanted to see if your home existed in the same "world" as Domino. Ishizu said that I should be able to call you if it was! And that means we can still see you! Everyone was missed you!" Kay said.

"I miss them too!" Cat said.

"Okay, I can't talk for long. I have to let everyone know now! We WILL visit sometime! Bye, bye for now!" Kay said and hung up.

"Bye." Cat laughed and hung up.

"Was that?" Atemu asked.

"Yes…it was Kay-chan. I can still see everyone! That means we all didn't have to say goodbye! But I didn't tell them about you yet." Cat said.

"That's alright. But from now on, you and I will finally be together again." Atemu said.

Cat smiled and walked up to him. "I'm glad." She said.

Atemu smiled as well. "Nothing and no one will ever come in between us." He whispered before he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips.

Cat blushed but never the less returned the kiss and accepted it.

The soft breeze flew through the trees as the sun was setting and the two pulled away.

And Cat's silver cartouche shined in the sun set's light.

The two hands connected as they looked out at the sun set.

While both of them new…they had a bright future ahead of them…a New Future.

* * *

**Yayyyy! It's over! ...Well actually, it's not. **

**This WAS the original ending to Eternal Snow. But a good friend of mine suggested adding on more to this story, since it doesn't stop there. So I decided...why not? Once I ACTUALLY finish Eternal Snow, I'll start posting another story I've been writing called, "Songs of Eternity". It takes place a year after Eternal Snow. :D **


	90. Back to where we Belong

"How are you going to do that?"

"Don't worry, it's already taken care of."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Don't tell me you're losing faith in me already?"

Atemu winced a little with uncertainty. "No, I'm not...it's just...this is sort of a big deal, right?" He replied.

Cat looked up from her bag that she was digging through; sitting on the floor.

"It is...and oddly enough...it's not all that hard to do." She said.

Atemu frowned a little. "So then...are you sure about moving to Japan?" He asked.

Cat laughed a little.  
"Atemu...you've asked me that at least four times already." She said. "I'm sure. My parents are almost never home. And they've agreed to letting move to Japan. So we can go back to Domino City."

"Although...you never told me how you convinced them to let you move...you're only sixteen." Atemu said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I have grandparents on my father's side that live in Japan." Cat said. "And my parents said, as long as I was living near them, then I could move to Japan. I believe they live near Domino City."

"Oh." Atemu muttered. "And um...your parents know that YOU'RE going...but...they still don't know about me yet..."

"Relax...I have a lot of money in my savings. There should be enough for a ticket to Japan." Cat said.

"How did you get all that money?" Atemu asked.

"Before I first came to Domino City, I've done some part time jobs." Cat said.

Atemu nodded. "So then, I take it that your parents are paying for your ticket?" He asked.

Cat stood up and looked at him.

"Exactly." She said.

"Okay. Glad we got that cleared up." Atemu chuckled.

"Yup!" Cat grinned.

Suddenly, a knock came to the door. Cat and Atemu jumped.

"Cat?"

Quickly and quietly, Cat shoved Atemu into her closet and shut the door.

"Yes mom?" She asked.

Cat's mother opened the door and stepped in.

"You're leaving tomorrow, right? Have you packed everything you needed?" She asked.

"Almost. I'm still packing." Cat said.

Cat's mother smiled and kissed the top of Cat's head.

"Me and your father are really going to miss you." She said.

Cat smiled a little. "I know. But think of it as a chance for you and dad to have more time to yourselves." She said.

Her mother chuckled.

"Right then." She said. "Promise me you'll email us everyday."

"I'll try." Cat laughed.

Serenity, Cat's mother, smiled and glanced at her clothes.

"Is that all you're taking?" She asked. "You should pack more." She turned and started to walk towards her closet.

Cat panicked and quickly jumped in front of the closet door.

"U-Uh! N-No! That's okay!" She cried. "I-I'm not done packing my clothes yet, so I'll pack more. Don't worry..."

Serenity cocked her eyebrow, wondering why her daughter was acting so jumpy.

"All...right then." She said and turned to go through her door. "Just make sure you have everything you need. Dinner will be ready in 20 minutes."

Cat watched her leave and shut the door behind her. She sighed with relief.

It had been about a week since Atemu had returned and found Cat.

The day the two reunited, they had almost forgotten that Atemu didn't have a place to live. Cat knew that Atemu couldn't stay in America with her. And she didn't want Atemu to leave her again. So after a while of thinking and talking, the two realized that their best chance was to move back to Domino City in Japan. Even though, at the time, they didn't think that they would have much of a chance to do so.

So until they were able to leave, Atemu had to secretly live with Cat. They shared the same room, and luckily for them, Cat's parents usually left really early in the morning and didn't have time to say bye to Cat. So they just left her a note.

But Cat knew that they couldn't find out about Atemu. They would be furious! Especially her father...

But Cat always wondered...what would her mother think if she found out that Cat was going out with a man that is connected with the family history that her mother rejected? Cat decided to wait until later to reveal that secret to her parents.

"Okay Atemu...it's safe." Cat said, moving away from the closet door.

Atemu opened the closet door, sighing a little.

"That was close." He said. Cat smiled weakly.

"Sorry I had to push you in there suddenly. Can't have my parents figure out you're here." She said.

Atemu nodded and glanced back at the closet.

"You know, I saw a really nice dress in there, that would look great on yo-..." Cat cut him off.

"Don't even bring it up." She muttered, blushing a little. Atemu chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

Cat sighed heavily and flopped on her bed, laying on her back. Atemu smiled a little and sat on the edge of the bed, next to her.

"Relax Cat. Tomorrow, we won't have to hide anymore." He said.

Cat smiled a little. "Yeah...that's true."

* * *

"It doesn't seem like this place has changed at all." Cat said, sighing happily.

The two had finally made it to Domino City.

Before Cat left America, she shared her goodbyes with her parents and left with Atemu. Although, Atemu and Cat had to pretend that they didn't know each other, so Cat's parents didn't catch them.

"Yes. It's good to be back." Atemu agreed as the two walked through the hallways after they had grabbed their stuff.

"By the way...have we thought about where we're staying?" Cat asked.

"Remember when I asked to barrow your cell phone? I called Yugi the day before we left. He said he would be happy to let us stay at his house as long as we needed. Like old times." Atemu said.

Cat blinked. "Is that so? That was nice of him." She smiled. "It will be like old times...except now, you're not living in the Millennium Puzzle."

Atemu chuckled.

"That's right." He nodded.

The two stepped out of the airport building...and suddenly Cat was nearly knocked over!

"AUGH!" She cried.

"My GOSH! It feels like forever! Even though it was only about a month..." A familiar female voice said.

"Wha?" Cat asked. It took a moment for Cat to realize that Kay, Joey, Honda, and Duke were clinging onto her.

"Geez! I knew we shouldn't have stopped for those snacks. Now you guys are all hyper and almost knocked Cat over!" Anzu scolded.

Cat blinked. Everyone was here to greet them!

Yugi, Kate, Kanya, Anzu, Bakura, Yugi's Grandpa (Solomon), Kaiba, Mokuba, Kay, Joey, Honda, and Duke!

"Everyone's here?" Atemu asked.

"Of course!" Yugi said.

"As if we'd miss the chance to greet our buddies again!" Joey exclaimed happily.

"You guys..." Cat said and smiled.

"We missed you too much." Kay said, rubbing her knuckles against Cat's head.

"Ow! OW!" Cat cried. " I get the idea!" She laughed.

"It's great to have the gang back together again!" Honda said with a grin.

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest.

"I don't even know how I was talked into coming here." He muttered.

Kay frowned at him.

"Seto, lighten up already!" She said as she let go of Cat to put her hands on her hips.

Mokuba smiled up at Kaiba.

"Not much has changed I see." Atemu chuckled.

"Well it's only been a month." Duke said.

"A month seems like a long time, doesn't it?" Bakura mentioned.

"It sure does." Kate agreed.

"Well then. Welcome back you two! We're happy that you're here to stay." Solomon said happily.

Cat and Atemu smiled.

* * *

"Hey, Hey...Kay..."

"Hm?" Kay looked at her friend as they were walking down the hallways of the Kaiba mansion.

"You and Kaiba are together now, right?" Cat asked innocently.

Kay blushed and frowned. "N-NO!" She cried. "Don't ask such silly things!"

Cat blinked. "Really? I would have thought that you guys would have gotten together by now..." She mummered.

"If Yugi, Mr. Motou and Atemu didn't ask Seto to let you stay here with us while they fix up the extra rooms at the Game shop...I would have kicked you out for asking such a thing." Kay said.

Cat sweatdropped.  
"Sorry...it's just..." She said slowly.

"Drop it." Kay said. "It's fine."

"Right..." Cat muttered.

The two continued walking down the hallway in silence for a while.

Kay stopped Cat in front of a door.

"This is my room." She said. "I used to not live here. But that changed when I was almost ALWAYS here. Helping out Seto and Mokuba and such."

"I see." Cat said as Kay opened the door and scooted Cat inside while walking in herself; shutting the door behind her.

Cat blinked and looked around. "Wow! Your room is so big and nice! Kaiba must think highly of you." She commented.

"Ignoring that." Kay said, sitting on her bed. Cat laughed weakly. "The truth is...Cat..."

Cat looked up at her friend.

"Now-a-days, I don't know what Seto thinks of me..." Kay said, resting her head in her hand and sitting cross legged.

* * *

**AH! Finally, another chapter up. Hehe. :D I wanted to add in more Ryuuzashipping. There hasn't been very much and if I do write some, it's not all that good. I guess it's because I'm not used to writing the "Love-Hate" relationship that Ryuuzashipping is. But I'm gonna try! It'll be great practice too! :D**

**So, in future chapters, I'm going to try to make Ryuuzashipping a better and bigger thing! :D Wish me luck!**


	91. Kaiba Corp Convention and Interview

**AUGH! How long has it been since I last updated? Months, I say! MONTHS! Lol Anyways. I was able to type up this chapter today. Sorry for the long pause in between updates. I haven't been really motivated or inspired to write. I've been mostly focusing on my drawings and trying to get over some major issues on my art site. Ugh. Anyways...this chapter focuses a bit more on Ryuuzashipping. Just like I promised. :D Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Kay frowned slightly as her eyebrow twitched. She was peering over her sunglasses and holding a light scarf up just below her mouth.

"You know...usually I'm the one who would think this up." Kay muttered, as the two slinked through the crowd.

Cat glanced over at Kay, looking over her sunglasses as she let the slide down her nose for a moment.

"Yes, I know. I think you're rubbing off on me." She said, turning her head forward again.

"I have taught you well...but still. Remind me why we're stalking Seto again?"

Cat frowned a little. "I told you! We're going to go see his public interview!" She replied.

"Yeah but...why can't we watch it when it's on T.V?" Kay asked.

"Because they aren't airing this interview. It's only going to be in Kaiba Corp's magazine."

"Then...can't we just read it? This stalking game feels...weird...and I'd never thought I'd say that."

"If we read it in the magazine, then we can't see Kaiba's reactions."

"His reactions?"

"It's an interview. People are always trying to learn the priviate lives of the people they're interviewing."

"And?"

"Maybe they'll ask Kaiba if there's someone he loves!"

Kay paused for a moment...before blushing.

"WHAT?! YOU...YOU...CA-"

Cat quickly covered her mouth and glanced nerviously at the crowd that they were in. A few people were staring and muttering to each other, wondering what was going on.

Grinning weakly, Cat slowly waved at everyone, letting them know it was nothing.

Kay was finally able to pull Cat's hand away.

"Agh! Don't do that!" She cried.

"Sorry Kay...But there's no reason to draw attention to ourselves." Cat said quietly as people were finally returning to what they were doing before.

"Why not-...Oh. Right." Kay mummered.

The two girls were in the middle of a Kaiba Corp. convention. When Kaiba had asked Kay if she wanted to go with him, she said no because she had some work to do that day. But...thanks to Cat, she ended up going anyways. Kay wasn't the happiest person at the moment.

The Kaiba Corp. convention was a huge event so far. Which was one of the reasons why Cat suggested wearing disguses. Most of the people there were fans of Kaiba Corp's technology.

Which probably meant that they read the Kaiba Corp. Magazine a lot. Both Kay and Cat were aware that Kay's picture has been shown in the magazine more than once. Mainly because Kay works with Kaiba a lot.

Also, even though Cat was away from Japan for a while, she never gave up her job as a singer. She was still Egyptian Moon. Which meant, if she wasn't careful, then there was a possibility that someone could have recognized her.

The two both had their hair up, Kay's hair in a short braid and Cat's hair in a bun. They also wore hats, sunglasses, long coats and scarfs that covered their mouths.

Even though they didn't want to draw attention, some people couldn't help but stare at the two. It was nice weather...so many people thought it was quite odd; how they were dressed. But at least no one recognized them.

"By the way..." Kay said as the two continued on towards the room where the interview was being held. "How can you be so sure that they're going to ask him if he loves someone?"

"Well...in the one or two interviews that I've had, they've asked that question." Cat said.

"Yeah but...you do realize that this is more of a professional convention. This world is completely different from the singer's world." Kay pointed out.

"I know. Look, I'm not completely positive that they'll ask. But I think they might. I mean...Kaiba has his share of fangirls, right? For all we know, the question could be a popular demand. Plus Kaiba's pretty young. He's only about a year or two older than us, right? It's a popular question among young famous people." Cat explained.

Kay was silent for a moment, thinking it over.

"Well...I don't know. But I still wouldn't count on that question being asked." She said.

Cat grinned a little. "We'll see."

The two finally entered the large room. Things were just about to start and there were tons of people sitting in bleachers, chatting loudly.

Cat and Kay quickly searched around for the closest seats to the interview. They were finally able to find a seat for the both of them in a row that was only two rows away from where the interview was.

After about 14 minutes...the interview finally started.

Most of the questions talked about things like, how Kaiba started his company, things about his technology, and his plans for the future. And the interview was almost over.

"I told you they probably weren't going to ask the question." Kay muttered.

Cat looked determined. "It's not over until it's over, Kay." She said.

10 minutes left until the interview was over...

"Alright then! Right now we'll take five questions from the audience!" The interviewer said. After he said that, a few hands shot up.

Cat and Kay listened to the first two questions. No one asked.

Cat frowned. If no one was going to ask, then she was going to!

She quickly stood up with her hand in the air. Kay looked up Cat, shocked.

"Cat!" She hissed quietly. "What are you doing?!"

"Yes?" The interviewer asked, pointing at Cat.

"Excuse me for asking..." Cat said, trying to change her voice a little so Kaiba wouldn't recognize it. "But Mr. Kaiba...do you have anyone whom you're in love with?"

The audience grew silent for a moment before muttering to each other.

Kay was still looking at Cat, surprised. But she was finally able to break her stare and look towards Kaiba.

Kaiba looked a little flustered and surprised at the sudden question.

But he cleared his throat and regained his composure.

"I..." He stared, trying to figure out how he was going to answer that question. "Yes...I do."

Everyone started to whisper and mutter to each other more. Kay stared at Kaiba, surprised.

Cat remained the same way she was.

The interviewer suddenly became interested.

"Well then. Would you like to tell us a little about this special someone?" He asked.

Kaiba frowned a little. He was hoping he could just leave it where it was.

"She...is always with me." He continued hesitently. "I'm not going to name any names but...she's always with me and is always working with me. She's always cheerful, high-spirited and kind. Even though we tend to argue a lot...it seems more like shameless flirting."

Kay continued to stare at Kaiba and Cat smiled in victory.

* * *

"Seto!"

Kaiba stopped in the hallway he was in and turned around. Mokuba ran up to him.

"Great job today bro!" He said with a smile.

"Thanks." Kaiba muttered.

"But...near the end of the interview...you were talking about Kay, weren't you?" Mokuba pointed out.

Kaiba frowned a little as a pale blush grew on his face.

"I don't know who that girl thought she was...but why did she have to ask such a personal question?!" He ranted.

Mokuba grinned.

"So it was Kay you were talking about. Don't get so worked up about it bro. The girl who asked was probably a fangirl of yours or something." He said.

Kaiba continued to frown and turned back around and continued walking. Mokuba followed. Kaiba placed rubbed his forehead irritability.

The secret was out. He was in love with someone. Not just anyone though. Kay Simms. The first person that was closest to him, other than Mokuba.

Luckily for him, no one knew whom he was talking about. But this was going to be in Kaiba Corp's next magazine. He was going to have to try and keep Kay from

reading the interview...that was going to be hard. Kay would probably want to know why and Kaiba wouldn't be able to tell her. They'd probably just get into another arguement.

He could only hope that Kay was still at home doing work like she said she would. Kaiba knew he wasn't the type to search for people he knew in such crowds.

But the girl who had asked him that personal question seemed a little familiar somehow.

Kaiba just brushed it off. It was probably a girl at Domino High that he met or seen once or twice.

He frowned again and continued to rub his forehead, power walking down the hallway. Why didn't he just refuse the question? Geez. This was going to be tough.

For all he knew, future interviewers were going to poke and push on Kaiba's secret love. Kaiba couldn't believe he let people see a soft side to him. This wasn't like him at all.

But if push came to shove and Kay found out about this interview...if she found out about that question...he would probably have no choice but to confess to her.

He couldn't hide this much longer.

Kaiba continued to rant and smack himself around in his head.

Mokuba watched Kaiba and smiled to himself.

* * *

"Stop denying it!"

"No!"

"C'mon! Kay!"

"He COULD have been talking about someone else! He has other women he works with, you know!"

Kay and Cat were heading to the exit. Now that their mission...or should we say, Cat's mission, was complete.

Kay was blushing and frowning the whole way.

Once Cat had snapped Kay out of her trance after Kaiba answered Cat's question, she had tried to convice Kay that Kay was the one Kaiba was talking about.

"His discription on the girl he loves fits you perfectly!" Cat said.

"But for all we know, there's another woman like that in his life!" Kay countered.

Cat frowned and stood in front of Kay once they entered the parking lot.

"Kay...you're always with Kaiba. And I mean ALWAYS. I'm sure if he had another woman like that in his life, you would know." Cat said with her hands on her hips.

Kay glared at Cat a little.

"Think about it! You're the closest person to him besides Mokuba! You live in the same mansion as him! He gladly gave you a room! A nice room at that..." Cat continued. "Kay...you're always trying to help other people with their love. You gave me advice and advice when I was confused on how I felt about Atemu...let me help you. At LEAST take it into consideration."

Kay continued to glare at Cat a moment more before her glare softend and she sighed.

"Fine. I'll consider it. But I'm not getting any high hopes. Alirght? We'll see what happens." Kay muttered.

Cat smiled. "Alright!"

* * *

"Sounds like you two had quite an...adventure?"

Cat smiled as she unpacked some stuff.

Atemu, Yugi and his Grandfather had finished prepairing the extra rooms for the two. Cat was just unpacking her stuff in her own room.

"I guess you could say that." She giggled.

Atemu smirked a little.  
"You had quite a backbone yesterday. That's surprising." He said in an amused tone.

Cat paused for a second and then continued what she was doing.  
"W-Well...sometimes...small chances like these come up only once...and when that time comes...you've just got to give it your all." She replied. "Even if it meant stepping out of my comfort zone."

Atemu chuckled and patted Cat on the head.

"You did good." He said. "I'm curious of what kind of development will happen between Kay and Kaiba now."

Cat smiled again. "I don't know. Both Kay and Kaiba are a little stubborn...so things may be a little bumpy along the way. But if they can get past that, then everything else should run out very smooth." She said.

"I suppose so." Atemu said.

* * *

**Whoo So I don't know if this is considered long or not...probably not...lol But anywho. I'll write more later. I have lots to do today...even though I don't want to. LOL Yeah...Hope you enjoyed! More Ryuuzashipping to come. Hehehehehe. :D  
**

* * *


	92. Two Troubled Hearts

The sound of Kay's shoes echoing through the hallway was the only thing she could hear.

Kay marched down the hallway of Kaiba Corp. by herself. It was the day after the strange interview and nothing seemed too out of the ordinary...yet.

Well...that is, unless you count Kaiba's strange, flustered attitude recently. And according to the workers, it was only happening when Kay was in the same room.

One of Kaiba's employees, one of the women that looked exactly like 9 other female employees only with different hair colors, asked Kay if anything strange happened at the Kaiba Corp. convention the day before.

Kay shrugged and said she didn't know because she wasn't there. Even though Kay knew that was a lie. She couldn't take the chance of letting Kaiba know she was there.

Things seemed to be awkward now.

Continuing through the empty hallway, Kay glanced down at the folders she was holding on to. What was going to happen next? Kaiba probably couldn't keep this up forever...or could he? It was hard to tell with him sometimes. Was he going to break down soon and talk to Kay? Or confess? Or...

Kay blinked and quickly shook her head. What was she thinking? It was as if she was positive that Kaiba was in love with her! She couldn't think that! It would be ironic!

After all, she had JUST told Cat yesterday, that there was a chance that he could be in love with someone else!

Why was she contridicting herself?

Kay had almost reached the door until it suddenly opened! Kay quickly jumped back to avoid getting hit with the door.

"Whoa! Easy with the door!" She exclaimed.

She smiled jokingly and looked up at the person who stood in the doorway. It was Kaiba! Her smile slowly faded.

Kaiba blinked down at her in surprise.

Crud. Of all the people to run into while she was having these confusing thoughts cloud her head.

The silence between the two seemed to last forever. Even though it only lasted for about four seconds.

"Sorry." Kaiba mummered and began to walk past her. "Watch where you're heading next time."

Kay frowned at him. She knew that she was going to have to play the part of not knowing why Kaiba was acting so weird. So...here it goes.

Kay quickly grabbed the end of his trenchcoat, stopping him.

"Hold it!" She demanded. "Why have you been all sulky lately? It's not like...well, it is kind of like you...but not like this!"

Kaiba glanced at Kay over his shoulder.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." He said.

"Don't give me that! Everyone here has noticed it! You've been acting strange since you came back from the convention yesterday. Even I can see that!" Kay snapped. Man...this felt weird, having to pretend she didn't know.

Kaiba turned around fully and Kay let go of his trenchcoat.

"I told you it's nothing." He said sternly. Kay gave him a look that said she didn't believe him. But Kaiba didn't look like he was going to crack.

Silence again fell between the two.

Kaiba rubbed the back of his head and frowned a little. Again with the flustered look.

"I realize you probably don't believe me, but..." He paused and cleared his throat. "Anyways, I don't want you reading the next Kaiba Corp. Magazine, alright?"

Kay blinked.

"Why?" She asked.

"B-Because!" Kaiba said, trying so hard to think up a good reason. "There's...there's nothing in there that you don't already know. Don't waste your time with it."

"I don't mind if it's a review. I like reading the magazines anyways." Kay replied.

Kaiba frowned. This wasn't going to be easy for him.

"W-well...I can't let you read it! The...convention was a wreak! You would have hated how it turned out!" Kaiba said, making up another excuse.

"Who are you to decide that? I still want to read about it." Kay muttered. "Besides. I have a collection of Kaiba Corp. Magazines. Why would I want to put a dent in my collection just because you don't want me to read it?"

This HAD to be about the interview yesterday.

Kaiba's eyebrow twitched. "You COLLECT those?" He asked. "That's odd."

Kay frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Exactly what I said. Odd."

"How rude."

"You'll survive."

"Hmph. Whatever. Besides, Seto...what's to keep me from buying a copy anyways? I doubt you can really keep me from doing so."

Kaiba crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the floor. Darn. This was exactly what he was afraid of. His attempts were useless after all.

What else could he do?

"You...You're not allowed to read that next issue!" He commanded and quickly walked away before Kay could speak.

She watched him leave.

"Great." She mummered and walked through the doorway that she was originally going to go through. "Cat might have been right. And that's just...weird."

* * *

"Good Morning Kay!"

Kay lifted her head from her desk. Today, Kay was wearing her Red and Black version of the Domino High School Girl uniform. Kay never liked the Domino High School Girl uniform. She hated the color pink and she though the skirt was too short. So she changed the colors of the uniforms she had and extended the skirt on all of them.

Kay was the only one in the school who had altered uniforms. And she had her own way of convincing the school to let her wear the altered uniforms.

Cat sat in the desk next to Kay.

"Where's everyone else?" Kay asked.

"They're downstairs. They'll be up soon." Cat replied and placed her school suitcase-like bag on her desk. "Did Kaiba come today?"

Kay shook her head.

"Nope. He had more work to do." She replied.

"Good." Cat said, digging through her bag. "Because...I picked this up on the way to school!" After a second or two of digging, she pulled out a copy of the latest issue of Kaiba Corp. Magazine and plopped it on Kay's desk with a grin.

Kay picked it up and looked at it. "Hey! You got a copy! Nice." She said and looked at her friend. "There wasn't any Kaiba Corp. bodyguards there to make sure that anyone connected to me didn't buy one?"

Cat laughed and shook her head.

"Nope. I must have got there before them." She laughed.

Kay smiled and turned her attention back to the magazine cover. They were advritising the interview that had happened two days ago.

"So...did you read the interview part already?" Kay asked.

Cat nodded.

"Everything is there. Nothing was added in and nothing was taken out." She said. "Even my question was there."

"I see." Kay muttered and opened up the magazine, flipping through the pages until she found the interview section.

She scanned the page.

"I'm sure other interviewers are going to poke at this until they get everything they want from Kaiba. He's going to hate that so much." Kay said.

"Yeah. But hopefully everything will be figured out by then." Cat mentioned.

Kay glanced back at Cat.  
"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

Cat glanced up at the ceiling innocently.

"Nothing..." She said quietly as the bell chimed.

* * *

"Hey...Kay."

Kaiba knocked on Kay's bedroom door.

No answer.

Kaiba stared at the door before opening it himself. "Kay?"

The room was empty.

"She's not here." He muttered irritably.

He was about to leave until something caught his eye.

He then walked into Kay's room and up to her bed. On her bed, was her school bag, open with books falling out of it. And among those books...was a magazine.

Kaiba picked the magazine up and his eyes widened a little.

"Great." He growled as he stared at the latest issue of Kaiba Corp. magazine. Kay had probably already read it. And knowing her, she would probably pretend she didn't know who Kaiba was talking about in the interview and tease him about it.

He gripped the magazine and stormed out of Kay's room.

After a moment of marching down the hallway, he stopped when he spotted Kay coming out of a doorway.

Kay stopped what she was doing and spotted him. "Oh! Hey Seto!" She said with a smile. Kaiba frowned and marched up to her. Kay blinked and looked up at the taller male.

"Seto...what's with the scary face?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Kay...I thought I told you not to get one of the magazines!" He growled, holding up the Kaiba Corp. magazine. Kay blinked at the magazine and frowned a little.

"And you were in my room?" She asked.

"That's beside the point! Why do you have this?" Kaiba snapped.

Kay frowned up at him.

"Cat gave it to me at school today. I don't recall you saying that my friends weren't allowed to give me a copy. And before you start ranting, I didn't ASK Cat to get it for me." She replied.

"EVEN SO YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN IT!" Kaiba yelled.

"WHAT THE HECK IS YOUR PROBLEM?! ARE YOU DESPERATELY TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING FROM ME?! YOU'RE ACTING LIKE A JERK!" Kay shouted back.

"I'M NOT-" Kaiba stopped himself and glared at the floor. No...saying that he wasn't trying to hide something from her would be a lie. He gripped the magazine again before tossing it to the ground while turning to leave. "Just do what you want!"

Kay continued to frown at him as she watched him leave. Once he was gone, she sighed and kneeled down, picking up the magazine.

"He really doesn't want me to find out." She muttered, looking at the slightly wrinkled magazine. "He's so...stubborn!"

* * *

Unlike other Sunday weather, this Sunday was raining.

No one seemed to mind though.

"Uh-huh...Oh...I see...so that's what happened...I'm sorry it turned out that way. I probably shouldn't have given you the magazine...Yeah...Yeah...Alright. Bye Kay."

Cat hung up the phone and sighed.

She was sitting on the couch, hugging a pillow with her legs crossed. Since it was a lazy day, she wore a white T-shirt with blue shorts.

"Darn...I should have known something like this could have happened." Cat sighed again and knocked herself on the head once. "Idiot."

Cat then moved her legs to hang off the end of the couch.

"I hope I didn't completely ruin everything. I mean...it's not like I'm an expert at this matchmaking stuff anyways." She muttered to herself before looking out the window. "I just hope they'll be able to make up with each other and realize each other's feelings soon."

"You like to talk to yourself, don't you?"

Cat looked over her shoulder to find Yugi standing behind the couch.

"Oh...hi Yugi." She said with a small smile.

Yugi smiled and chuckled a little.

"I take it you were talking about Kay and Kaiba?" He asked.

Cat nodded. "They're having a little trouble right now. And it was a silly fight over a magazine. Kaiba really doesn't want to let Kay know about his feelings for her. He's a stubborn guy." She said.

"Well...we always knew that." Yugi laughed. "But if I know those two, they'll make up soon. Don't worry. Besides, if they truly love each other, I doubt that they'll be able to not talk to each other for long."

Cat smiled.

"Yeah."

She turned her head to glance at the ground, looking as if she was concentrating hard.

Yugi tilted his head a little and leaned on the back of the couch. "What's on your mind?" He asked.

"Nothing..." Cat mummered. "But...I can't help but wonder..."


	93. An Accident Encounter in the Rain

"Looks like I win this round too."

"Ahh..."

Atemu glanced up from his cards and looked at Cat. "There's something on your mind, isn't there?" He asked.

Cat seemed to stare off into the distance for a moment before his words finally clicked. She lifted her head from her hand and blinked.  
"Huh?"

Atemu sighed and leaned on the table they were sitting at.

"Something's bugging you." He mummered, the look on his face showed he was waiting for an explanation.

Cat sweatdropped and blinked. "Ah...does...does it look like it?" She asked before laughing and waving her hand. "I-I'm fine...what makes you think there's something on my mind?"

"Whenever we play Duel Monsters, usually you're more focused. And you usually do a lot better than you have been tonight." Atemu said, raising an eyebrow. "Cat...I don't want you to pretend that everythings fine when its not, anymore. A part of me really expects you to tell me what's wrong when something's bugging you."

Cat looked at him sheepishly, knowing she had be found out. She sighed.

It was almost exactly one week later; Saturday. It was raining like the Sunday she talked to Kay. The week had better weather, but according to weather reports, it was supposed to rain for the next couple of days.

"I'm sorry..." She mummered. "I guess I've been thinking about Kay and Kaiba's situation."

Atemu chuckled. "I figured that might be it."

Cat nodded and continued.

"You noticed it too, right? It seems like they haven't gotten any better."

Atemu stared at Cat for a moment before resting his head in his hand and looking towards the window. "Well...yes. I've noticed. But you realize that there's not much we can do for them at the moment." He said. Cat looked down at her lap.

"I know." She said quietly. "But...I just want to help them somehow. I just don't know how."

Silence fell between the two before Atemu looked back at Cat and smiled.

"That's just like you. Always worrying about and wanting to help others." He chuckled. "I understand your situation. But like I said, there's probably not much we can do. It sounds like something Kay and Kaiba need to fix on their own. Besides. They've had worse fights over even sillier things than this."

Cat was still silent and she looked out the window.

"That may be true but..." She sighed and rested her head in her hand again.

"_I think...I think they just need a little push this time. Kay's mood hasn't been all that great at school...and I can never tell when Kaiba's in a good mood. But...I just think...they need some way to show that they care for each other._" She thought to herself.

She thought on it a moment more before she glanced up a little. "Huh?"

A way...to show that they care about each other...

"AH!" Cat cried and quickly stood up. Atemu jumped a little, startled. "Wh-What was that all about?" He asked.

"They just need a chance to show each other how much they care about each other! A moment where they'll let their guard down!" Cat cried, smiling excitedly. "And we can do it the old fashioned way!"

Before Atemu could speak again, Cat ran from the room and up the stairs.

He stared at the door way, surprised, before he smiled weakly. "That girl..." He chuckled.

About ten minutes later, while Atemu was sitting on the sofa, Cat ran back down the stairs with something in her hands.

"Cat?" Atemu asked, watching her put her shoes on. "Where do you think you're going in this weather?"

"Don't worry!" Cat said happily after finishing with her shoes and grabbing a jacket. "I'll be right back!" And with that, she ran out the door.

Atemu stood up. "CAT!" He cried.

After a moment, he sighed. "She forgot an umbrella. She'd better be okay."

* * *

Cat peeked around a corner. Nobody was around.

She was in Kaiba's home...a dangerious area for her. If Kay or Kaiba caught her being there, then her plan would be ruined. She was only able to get in because of Mokuba. Cat explained the situation and Mokuba allowed her to do so. Mokuba also wanted the two to make up.

Quickly and quitely, she marched over to the door that lead to Kay's room. Glancing around once more, she silently cracked the door open and peeked inside to make sure Kay wasn't in there.

When Cat was sure she wasn't there, she slipped in and silently shut the door behind her. Moving fast, she walked over to Kay's bed and plopped an envelope on her pillow.

After she did that, she quickly left Kay's room, making sure to be sneaky.

She hurried down the hallway towards Kaiba's room.  
It was still raining and so Cat was soaking wet, since she had forgot her umbrella. So she had to make sure, once she stepped into the building, that she wasn't dripping or anything so she would make any wet spots on the floor that might track her travels around the mansion.

Once she reached Kaiba's room, she did the same thing as she did in Kay's room.  
After leaving the envelope on Kaiba's pillow, she left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

She held up her fist and grinned in victory as she quickly walked down the hallway. But she wasn't being careful...

Cat quickly turned a corner and smacked right into someone! Causing her to stumble back a little.

"O-ow..." She mummered. "I-I'm sorry about that! I wasn't look-" She stopped when she saw who it was.

Two cold eyes stared down at her.

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba asked coldy, crossing his arms over his chest.

Cat began to sweat a little. "Um, uh...I...er...I was just...well...you see...I..." She studdered. "I was just...visiting...y-you know...to see how everything w-was going on around here..."

She laughed dumbly.

Kaiba didn't seem amused.

Cat looked up at him. The silence was a little much for Cat.

"And I came to see Kay..." She paused. "B-But if she's not here, then I guess I'll be on my way! See you later!" She said quickly and ran off towards the entrance.

Kaiba blinked as he watched her run.

He frowned a little. "She weird..."

Without thinking a second thought on the girl he ran into, he turned and walked to his room.

* * *

Kay heaved a big sigh as she retreated to her room.

"Seto still doesn't seem to want to talk to me..." She said sadly as she shut the door. "He's such an idiot..." She frowned at the floor sadly. "Maybe...maybe it's over before it even started..."

She lifted her head and spotted the white envelope. "What the...?" She mummered as she walked over to her bed and picked it up. "The maids must have left this...I wonder who's its from?"  
She didn't even bother to think about who may have possibly left the letter for her as she opened it.

"A confession letter?" She asked herself after she had read the letter. "Why the heck did the maids let someone leave a weird love letter like this?!" She sighed again. "Oh well...It would be rude to not answer it...besides...its raining, so I guess I don't want them to be waiting in the rain."

Kay frowned at her own words.

She didn't really want to go. But it was better than doing nothing.

Folding up the paper and placing it in her pocket, she walked over to get her jacket.

* * *

"Where are you going?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Two pairs of eyes stared coldly at each other.

Kaiba scoffed, grabbing an umbrella. "I just have some business to attend to. Not that it's really any of your business." He said, his voice almost as cold as his eyes.

Kay frowned at him and grabbed her own umbrella. "Fine. Then you have no right to ask me about where I'm going if you're not going to tell me where you're going." She said in an irritated tone before marching out the door, opening her umbrella.

Kaiba frowned as he watched her leave, before he turned his frown towards the ground and walked out himself.

Neither one of them noticed the similar letter's in one another's hands.

* * *

Atemu heard the door open. He didn't even bother to turn his head from the magazine he was reading.

"Cat..." He mummered.

"Yes...?" Cat asked.

"You...should have gotten an umbrella." Atemu said, finally turning his head towards her.

Cat stood in the doorway, soaking wet and dripping. She looked rather miserable and cold.

"I know..." She whimpered.

Atemu sighed, put down the magazine and walked over to Cat. "Here..." He said, taking off her jacket. "Go take a bath and warm yourself up."

Cat looked a little reluctant.

"What is it?" Atemu asked, noticing her expression.

"I think..." Cat started. "That...I gave Kay the wrong directions in her letter."

Atemu blinked, confused. "What?"

Cat sighed and removed her shoes.

"Nothing." She mummered and walked up-stairs to take her bath.

"I hope I gave her the right directions." She whispered to herself, walking into the bathroom.

* * *

"Ugh...whoever wrote this letter has NO sense of direction! Where the heck am I supposed to go from here?!" Kay cried, looking around.

It was starting to get dark.

"The letter says to meet them at the new Domino Cafe building at 8:30...but...ugh! It's new, so I don't know how to get there! And this person's directions are all wrong!"  
Kay rubbed her head in anger. "Whatever. I guess I can just head back home then."

She began to walk back home until two men stood in front of her.

"Hey girl, why are you out so late?" One of the men asked.

Kay glared up at the taller and shady looking men. "That's none of your business. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to head home now." She said and tried to walk past the two men. But one held out his arm and stopped her.

"Maybe we can be of assistance." The man whom stopped her said.

Kay pushed his arm away.

"No thanks." She mummered and tried to walk off again.

The other man grabbed her shoulder and slammed her against the wall.

"Perhaps we weren't being clear enough." The man said with a wicked grin on his face.

Kay scowled at them.  
"YOU FREAKS! Let me GO!" She snapped and kicked the man in the stomach. The man coughed and reeled back, letting go of her.

The other man frowned. "You little brat!" He cried and grabbed Kay before she could make her escape again, and put her in a tight headlock. "You're going to pay for that!"

Kay struggled against the man. "Let...me...GO!" She cried.

All of the sudden, the man who was holding onto her cried out in pain and let her go, falling to the ground. Kay gasped and put a hand to her throat. "Wha...?" She gasped and looked at the man who was on the ground, wincing in pain.

She glanced over to the other man who had pinned her to the wall. He looked frightened, but he tried to keep a tough look on his face.

"Y-You!" The man cried and took a step back. "S-Seto Kaiba!"

Kay blinked in surprise and dared to turn around. Indeed, Kaiba was standing by her.

"You two are trash, trying to take advantage of a girl when she's clearly not interested. No get out of here! Before I resort to real force!" Kaiba snapped at the men.

The two men didn't hesitate to leave.

Once they were gone, Kaiba walked over and picked Kay's umbrella up, handing it to her.

"Um...thanks..." Kay said quietly.

"You're welcome. But next time, try not to attract perverts." Kaiba mummered.

Kay frowned. "It's not like I WANTED them to come onto me!" She snapped.

"Lighten up." Kaiba said. "I just saved you and you throw that kind of attitude towards me?"

Kay continued to frown at him for a moment before she finally calmed down. Her frown left.

"Sorry." She mummered and looked up at him. "But I thought you said you had some business to attend to. Why are you here?"

Kaiba sighed and pulled out a letter.  
"Someone just sent me some weird love letter and I was going to go see them at that newly built Domino Cafe." He said.

Kay blinked in surprise. "You were? I was supposed to too!" She said, pulling out her own letter.

The two blinked at each other in surprise. Kay made a face.

"I...think we've been set up." She said.

Kaiba looked a little flustered.

"I guess so." He said, pocketing the letter.

"But who would do something like that? I don't think this is Mokuba's style..." Kay wondered, looking down in thought.

"Cat." Kaiba said blunty.

Kay looked up at him. "Huh?" She asked.

"It had to be Cat." Kaiba mummered.

"What makes you think that?" Kay asked.

"She was in the mansion earlier today and we ran into each other. She was acting suspicious and quickly ran out of the mansion." Kaiba explained.

Kay sweatdropped.

"You know...if I wasn't irritated at her for doing this, I would be proud of her." She muttered.

There was an awkward silence between the two for a while.

"A-Anyways...I guess I'll head home first." Kay said, cutting the silence. "See you at home."

Kay began to walk past Kaiba until he suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Kay..." He mummered. "I'm...I'm sorry."

Kay blinked in surprise. "What?" She asked.

"I'm sorry about how I've been acting. I'm sorry I got angry at you over the magazine. I'm sorry." He said. Kay wasn't sure how to respond.

"You've already read the whole magazine anyways, right?" Kaiba asked.

"Yeah..."

"Then...there's no reason to hide anymore."

"Huh?"

"Kay..." Kaiba took her hand and pulled her a little closer. "I...love you."

Kay blushed. "Ah...uh..."

Before she could make anymore sounds, Kaiba tugged on her hand more, suddenly jerking Kay forward.

The raindrops hit the ground heavily and the two umbrellas hit the ground.

* * *

Cat walked into her room in her PJs. She had just gotten out of the bath and had a towel draped over her head, her hair down.

"I guess I couldn't fully enjoy the bath." She mummered. "I really hope Kay's alright."

The house was dark. So Cat assumed everyone else went to bed. And since her room was dark, she had to be careful not to bump or trip over anything. Since she was heading to bed, she didn't bother to turn on the lights.

She sighed and crawled onto her bed, sitting up. She sat there for a moment before she felt an arm suddenly wrap around her and pull her to the figure that was next to her.

Cat gasped in surprise. "Wha?"

She heard a familiar deep voiced chuckle. Cat looked up at the figure next to her, pouting a little. "Atemu...please don't scare me like that." She said.

"I'm sorry." Atemu chuckled. "I couldn't help it."

"How long have you been there anyways?" Cat asked.

"Oh...about five minutes." Atemu answered.

"Good timing..."

"I know."

Cat laughed quietly.

Atemu smiled and pulled the towel off her head so he could run his fingers through her damp hair.

"So then...still worried about Kay?" He asked softly.

"Yeah...a little." Cat mummered.

"Don't worry about her. This is Kay we're talking about. I believe she's more than capable of taking care of herself." Atemu said.

"Well...yeah, I'm not saying she can't take care of herself or anything. It's just...it's a stormy night...its dark...she's by herself. Things can happen." Cat said.

"I'm sure she's fine."

"Yeah. She probably is. But even so...if she can't find the location I asked her to go to, then my plan will be ruined."

"What was your "plan" anyways?"

"I tried the old fashioned way of getting people together. Writing a confession note for each of them and tell them to go to the same place so they'll end up running into each other and such."

"Ah. That old trick."

"Uh-huh. I just hope it works and they'll finally be able to make up."

"It might. But you're dealing with subborn people when it comes to love."

"That's true. I'll just have to see how things are going tomorrow...or at school on Monday."

"Yes."

Cat sighed and leaned a little more on Atemu.

"Are you tired?" Atemu asked softly.

"A little." Cat replied quietly.

Atemu pulled some sheets from under her. "Then you should probably go to sleep." He said.

Cat obeyed and moved under the sheets, laying down.

"Atemu...will you stay with me?" She asked. Atemu blinked for a second and then chuckled.

"You're clingy tonight." He said, laying next to her.

"I'm sorry." Cat said. "If you don't want to, you don't have to stay. It was...only a suggestion."

Atemu scooted closer to her and kissed her head.  
"No. It's alright. I want to stay." He said.

Cat smiled and moved closer to him, cluddling up against him.

"I'm glad...thank you..." She sighed.

Atemu took Cat into his arms.

"You're welcome. Good night..."

* * *

**Yay! Another chapter! It feels great to be able to write this story again. :D**

**Anywho...what happened with Kay and Kaiba? Hehehe, it's a cliffy! *dodges bricks***

**Don't worry, I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as...I can write it. LOL Which should be soon. I have time on my hands. :D  
**

**I 've been having a lot of fun writing about Kay and Kaiba's relationship. Especially since it's my favorite Kaiba couple. (Even if it's an OC couple. I dun care. :P Lol Still my fav.) I feel it's easier to write out their relationship now-a-days. Before, I've had a little trouble trying to figure out their relationship. Since Kay-chan told me that it was a "Love-Hate Relationship". At least I think that's what it was. If I remember correctly. I can't rely on my memory anymore. :P**

**But I had never done a "Love-Hate" relationship before. The most practice I've had on was "The tough, strong aggressive guy" and the "Shy, innocent, kind, ditzy, with something of an inner strength girl" (A.K.A: Yami Yuugi/Atemu and Cat Tsuru). Weird combination, huh? I dunno. It's my favorite type. I find it sweet and all that. But it's a good thing for me to get practice on other types of love relationships. :D Great writing practice!  
**

**But when I read Kay-chan's stories, I think I start to understand Kay and Kaiba's relationship better, little by little. :D  
**

**Wow, this A/N is long...Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chappie! See ya next time! :D  
**


	94. The Happy End and Beginning

The heavy raindrops that hit the wet cement seemed to echo now.

And two minds went almost completely blank.

_Whats...going on...?_

_Where...am I again...?_

_It's...cold...yet...warm...?_

_What...is this...feeling...?_

Becoming soaking wet was the last thing that seemed to be on Kay and Kaiba's mind.

Kaiba had locked his lips with Kay's. Although, Kay was surprised at first, she made no attempt to move.

Neither of them knew how long they had been like that. And for a long time both had ignored the need for air.

Kaiba gripped Kay's hand and kissed her a little deeper before he couldn't take it anymore and pulled away for some air.

The two stared at each other in silence for a while.

Kaiba blushed a little and cleared his throat. "Sorry about that." He mummered, frowning a little and looking to the side. Kay stared at him and blinked a few times before laughing.

Kaiba turned his head back to her and blushed more.  
"Wha...What are you laughing about?!" He cried angrily.

"I never thought I would see YOU blush." Kay laughed. Kaiba continued to blush and frown from embarrassment.

"You...!" Kaiba growled.

"But..." Kay said, trying to stop her laughing. "Its actually kind of adroable."

Kaiba then looked a little flustered for a moment before clearing his throat again.

"W-Well then..." He mummered, picking up the two umbrellas and handing Kay her own. "I'm going home."

He began to walk off until Kay grabbed his sleeve. Kaiba looked at her over his shoulder.

Kay blushed a little.

"In...response...I...lo...love you....too..." She said, embarrassed.

Kaiba looked a little surprised. He smiled a little.

Kay looked up at him when he started to laugh.

"NOW look who's all embarrassed!" He laughed.

Kay frowned.  
"WHA?" She cried. "STOP LAUGHING! I stopped laughing for your sake you know!"

Kaiba only continued to laugh.

"Y-You stubborn jerk!" Kay cried, her face red. She grabbed Kaiba's wrist and jerked him along. "Let's just go home already!"

The rain had lightened up that moment and the sunset had a short moment to peek through the dark clouds.

The two hands never parted.

* * *

"You know...I once heard that cats like to sleep on rainy days, but this is just silly."

Anzu smacked Joey over the head.

"Cat is NOT a cat! Don't start making stupid puns." She said.

"OW! Why are you so abusive?!" Joey cried.

"Why are you so dumb?"

"C'mon guys, lets not fight this time." Yugi said, sweatdropping.

"We came to wake up, Ms. Sleep-in, remember?" Honda added in.

"Oh! I can do that!" Joey said with a huge grin and walked over to Cat's bed, where she was sleeping.

"Uh...Joey?" Atemu mummered.

Joey didn't bother to answer as he ripped off the sheets, pulling Cat along with them.

"G'MORNIN' CAT!" Joey yelled.

Cat screeched as she hit the floor.

"Ow..." She mummered.

Joey began laughing.

"Oh man that was priceless!" He laughed. "I'm laughing so hard, it freakin' HURTS!"

Cat slowly sat up, rubbing her head.  
"Joey...that wasn't nice!" She said tiredly.

"You okay, Cat?" Yugi asked.

Cat stood up.

"I'm fine...although I can't say this is how I usually wake up in the mornings." She muttered, glancing at Joey who was still laughing while Anzu frowned at him.

"So...why is everyone in my room? Some sort of party I didn't hear about?" Cat asked.

"You're still asleep aren't you?" Honda asked.

"We were meeting up with everyone today. Don't you remember?" Atemu answered.

Cat remined silent for a while, thinking about it.

"Uh...I kinda remember..." She muttered.

"Anyways, why don't you get dressed and ready. We'll wait for you downstairs." Yugi said.

"And try to wake up while you're at it." Anzu added in.

"Right, right..." Cat mummered as everyone left the room.

Joey's laughter hardly stopped as Anzu dragged him out, by the ear.

* * *

Joey ran up to the cafe and skidded to a stop before striking a pose.  
"ALL RIGHT! I'm here first!" He cried happily. "Looks like you owe me lunch, Honda!"

Honda ran up from behind.

"Hey! I said I MIGHT treat you to lunch today!" He said.

"What? HEY! Don't be going back on your bets just because you lost!" Joey snapped.

While the two bickered, everyone else walked up.

Anzu rubbed her forehead. "How did I know that it would end up like this? Those two are idiots..." She mummered.

"Well it's about time you guys got here!"

"Ah, sorry Kay. We had a girl who didn't want to wake up this morning." Yugi chuckled.

Kay glanced at Cat who still looked sleepy.

"Hmph..."

Kaiba stood next to Kay, his arms crossed over his chest. He was wondering what he was doing there.

Thats right...Kay made him go.

"Why don't you guys go in first? I need to talk to Cat for a moment." Kay said.

"Alright. We'll save some seats for you guys." Anzu said, walking in.

Yugi and Atemu followed.

Kaiba was about to walk in until he stopped to look at Joey and Honda, who were still bickering.

"Pay up Honda! That was the bet! I'm obviously faster than you!" Joey snapped.

Honda was about to reply before he was cut off.

"Can it already, Katsuya. We all know monkey's can run very fast." Kaiba said before walking into the cafe.

Joey paused, dumbfounded for a moment before it finally hit him.

"HEY! YOU WANNA SAY THAT TO MY FACE?!" Joey yelled, running in after him.

Honda followed the two, laughing.

"He got you good Joey!" Honda laughed.

Kay and Cat watched them until they walked in.

"Nothing new there." Kay said before turning back to Cat. "Geez Cat...you sleep too much."

Cat yawned.

"I'm sorry..." She sighed.

"You should be." Kay said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Especially after the little stunt you pulled yesterday."

Cat looked confused for a moment before her eyes popped open, wide in realization.

"Uh..."

Before Cat could say anything, Kay pinched both of her cheeks and pulled a little, frowning.

"Just realized you've been found out, huh?!" Kay cried. "I never knew you had the nerve to pull something like that!"

"OW! OW! Kayh! Pleaseh leh goh ofh my cheeksh!" Cat cried in pain.

Yugi, Atemu, Joey, Honda, Anzu, and Kaiba watched the two through the large window that was on the front of the cafe.

"Kay's mad at Cat?" Honda asked.

"I dunno...seems like it." Anzu said.

"Poor Cat...that looks painful." Yugi said.

Atemu only sweatdropped.

Kaiba only smirked a little. He knew what was going on...

"Too bad you didn't realize that there are security camera's in the hallways of Kaiba's mansion, huh?!" Kay continued. "And if you hadn't run into Kaiba before you left, then we probably wouldn't have suspected you! But that's just your luck, huh?!"

Kay finally let go of Cat's cheeks. Cat rubbed her cheek, tears in the corners of her eyes.  
"Oww...Kay, that really hurt." She whimpered.

"Sorry. But that's what you get for trying to do my job." Kay said. "And by the way. You have a horrible sense of direction."

"So I'm sorry...!" Cat said, still holding her hand up to her cheek.

Kay smiled a little at her friend.

"Well...whatever. Its done and over with anyways." She said cooly. "Lets head back in."

"Hey wait!" Cat said as Kay was about to walk into the cafe. "How did last night go, anyways?"

Kay stared at Cat for a moment before smiling and walking in. Cat blinked for a moment before she smiled as well. Understanding.

"I'm glad everything turned out great." She said to herself and headed into the cafe as well.

* * *

**Ack...sorry the chapter is a little shorter than the last few. ^^; I guess I was running out of ideas.**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed it anyways. lol :D Kay and Kaiba are FINALLY together! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!**

**Hehe. :D Sorry if it seemed kinda corny at the beginning. I was aiming for romantic, but...it felt corny for some reason. So I hope the beginning scene was okay. ^^;**

**Anywho, see you all next chapter! :D  
**


	95. The Class Trip

"_Wake...up..._"

...

"_Wake...up..._"

Cat shifted a little and sighed a sleepy sigh. She had fallen asleep on her desk at school.

"DARN IT CAT! WAKE UP ALREADY!" Kay yelled and elbowed her.

Cat let out a surprised yelp and fell out of her chair. The class began to laugh.

Cat sat up, looking at Kay. "Was that necessary?" She asked, looking slightly frazzled. Kay sat up straight in her chair, glancing down at Cat.

"Yes. Yes it was." She said. "That'll teach you to fall asleep while we're planning our class trip."

Cat blinked before getting herself back in her seat.

The class chairman turned to look at Cat, laughing weakly.

"Try to stay awake Ms. Tsuru." He said, smiling. "Even though planning the trip seems boring, the trip itself will be a lot of fun."

Cat smiled weakly. "N-No...it's not because it's boring...I'm sorry. I'll stay awake." She said.

That's right.

The class was taking a trip to the beach in a city next to Domino. They were going to spend two nights and three days there in a seaside hotel which was popular among schools for school trips. And since the students needed to plan the trip, the teachers left them a class period to do so.

The class trip was five days away and everyone was almost done planning, and everyone had already paid the fee to go.

Cat sighed and glanced around the classroom at her friends.

Joey was still snickering because of Cat's fall. Honda was looking at Joey as if he was an idiot. Anzu, Kay and Yugi were paying attention to the class chairman. Kaiba looked like he was seriously paying attention to the class chairman, but Cat knew that he probably secretly didn't care about the class trip. It was just another thing to stand in his way of work. Oh wait...he already said that at lunch earlier today.

And Cat finally looked over at Atemu.  
He was paying attention to the chairman as well.

She turned her head back at the chairman and sighed again. Everyone seemed excited about the class trip. Cat, herself, was excited too. But...today she was just a little tired. Must of been because of gym class last period. No wonder.

Cat rested her head in her hand and her mind began to drift off a little.

There wasn't much doubt that the class trip was probably going to be "very eventful". Why wouldn't it, anyways?

Her and her friends were going. And with them...things were _always_ eventful.

"Ms. Tsuru? Are you still paying attention?"

"Huh?"

* * *

"I'm completely packed for tomorrow. Are you Cat?"

"I'm...almost done." Cat mummered, holding the phone to her ear while sitting in front of her half-packed bag.

"Geez, Cat. You take forever." Joey said.

He was on the other end of the phone.

Joey had called to talk to Yugi or Atemu, but Yugi was in the bath and Atemu had gone out with Yugi's Grandpa to pick up some food for dinner that night.

So Joey decided to chat with Cat for a while.

"Sorry. I guess I tend to pack slower than most people." Cat said, sweatdropping.

"Eh, that's okay." He said. "Anyways, you excited for the trip?"

"Yeah. It'll be a lot of fun." Cat said, smiling. "And I take it you're excited as well?"

"What? Are you kiddin'?! I'm probably more excited than the whole class COMBINED!" Joey exclaimed. "This is gonna be AWESOME!"

Cat laughed a little.

"Glad to hear you're all pumped up. No wonder you're the first to be packed."

"Oh yeah!"

Cat laughed a little again.

"But, you are sounding a little mellow Cat. I thought you would be more excited than this." Joey said.

"Well...I guess I don't really "burst" with excitement until the day comes. I really am excited. Just on the inside." Cat laughed.

"Oh, I see." Joey mummered. "Yeah this'll be fun. Three days on a trip and on the beach. I'll bet you can't wait to spend some time with your "Pharaoh"."

Cat paused for a while.

"Erm..." She blushed a little. "Joey...that sounds like something Kay would say..."

"I don't doubt that." Joey said. "Somebody's gotta do her job when she's not doing."

"Oh, she's mentioned things to me like that, more than enough times. But she does get a little irritated when I mention the same thing with her and Kaiba." Cat said.

Joey laughed.

"Yeah! I'm still surprised at the fact that rich boy would even open up that much to anyone besides Mokuba!" Joey grinned. "But I guess it's a good thing. Even though he still doesn't seem to be willing to open up to everyone else."

"Maybe being around Kay will change that." Cat said. "But until then, you'll have to stand being called "Monkey-boy" and "Dog"."

"Hmph! Stupid rich boy...he needs to knock it off!" Joey grumbled. Cat only laughed a little. "Anyways, Cat. I guess I'll go for tonight. You REALLY need to finish packing. Make sure Yug and Atemu are completely packed too!"

"Joey...you sound like a mother." Cat laughed.

"I do? Geez. Probably because I've been hanging out with Shizuka recently." Joey mummered.

"How is she anyways?" Cat asked.

"She's fine. She went back to our mom's place since I'm going on this class trip." Joey answered.

"I see. I'm glad she's doing well."

"Yup! Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow morning, okay? If I get a call from Yug, Atemu or Mr. Motou about you sleeping in again, I'll come over and wake you up myself!"

"Eh...I'll be sure not to sleep in."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Yup! See you tomorrow, Joey. Goodnight."

"Night!"

Cat hung up the phone, setting it to the side. She sighed as she stared down at her bag.

"I probably haven't finished up because I've been spacing out." She mummered to herself.

Cat lifted her head and looked at the doorway when the door opened.

Yugi stood there with a towel over his head.

"Ah. Fresh out of the shower?" Cat asked.

"Yup." Yugi smiled and walked up to her. "Have you finished packing yet?"

Cat shook her head. "No...but don't worry. Joey already got on my case about that."

"I see. Joey called?"

"Yup. He called to talk to you or Atemu, but you both were busy, so me and Joey talked for a while. Did you want to call him back?"

"Hmm...nah. That's okay. I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"Alright then." Cat returned to packing her stuff.

Yugi sat next to her, putting the towel over his shoulders.  
"So, how come you're not packed yet?" He asked.

"Well...I've been spacing out a lot." Cat said with a small smile.

Yugi chuckled.

"Nothing new there." He said.

"Nope." Cat agreed. "Oh, Joey told me to make sure that you and Atemu were both completely packed."

"We are. We did that earlier today, remember?" Yugi answered.

"Ah, that's right." Cat said. "I guess I'm the only one who put this off too late."

Yugi smiled.

"Yugi! Cat! We're back!" Solomon yelled from the first floor.

"They're back. I guess I'll go help them out with dinner. You should finish up your packing." Yugi said, standing up.

"Alright. I will." Cat said. Yugi nodded and left the room.

* * *

"HEEEEYYY! HURRY UP YOU THREE! BEFORE ALL THE GOOD SEATS GET TAKEN!" Kay yelled from across the parking lot.

Cat, Atemu and Yugi ran up to Kay and their friends, with their luggage.

"Took you guys long enough!" Kay said with a grin.

"Sorry." Yugi said, smiling and panting.

"Whatever. Let's just get on board!" Joey said, heading into the bus.

Everyone nodded and boarded the bus, grabbing seats so they could sit close together.

"I can't wait till we get there! This'll be so much fun!" Anzu said with excitement.

"Of course it will!" Honda agreed. He was sitting by Anzu.

"You found someone to watch over Mokuba, right?" Kay asked Kaiba, who was sitting beside her.

"Yes. But it wasn't really necessary. Mokuba doesn't like to be treated like a kid all the time. He can take care of himself." Kaiba mummered.

"Hey now. Mokuba's still a kid! I feel better when I know he has someone watching over him! I worry about him you know." Kay said, looking up at Kaiba. "Just as I worry about you sometimes."

Joey, who was sitting behind them and beside Yugi, leaned over the seat and between Kay and Kaiba.

"I'd worry about him too. Kaiba's probably the type of guy who'll stand on the beach when it's really hot and wear his black outfit with that ridiculously huge trench coat of his." He said.

"Hmph. Say what you want, Mutt. But you're the type of person who would be panicking and thinking he was drowning while sitting in two feet of water." Kaiba said.

Joey scowled and Kay began to laugh.

"TAKE THAT BACK!" He snapped.

"Hey now...let's not start a fight already, okay?" Yugi said, trying to calm Joey down.

Joey flopped back into his seat, his arms crossed. He huffed and started to mummer about how he hated Kaiba and such.

Cat was beaming the whole time. Atemu, who was sitting next to her, glanced over at Cat.

"You seem excited." He said with a smile.

"I am!" Cat said, turning to face him. "This will be so much fun! It's a great time for all of us to just hang out and have fun!"

Atemu smiled more.

"It will be." He agreed.

The bus' engine suddenly came to life. And it wasn't long, after the chaperones boarded to make sure everyone was present, until the bus began to make it's way to it's destination.

* * *

The sound of ocean waves echoed through everyone's ears. The class had just gotten off the bus and was either stretching out or staring out to the ocean, happily.

"It's so pretty here!" Anzu exclaimed.

"Yeah! It's a lot more beautiful than the beach in Domino City!" Kay agreed.

"No wonder it's a hot spot for class trips." Anzu said. Kay nodded once in agreement.

"Hmph. The ocean is the same where ever you go." Kaiba said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can't believe I left work for this."

Kay sweatdropped and frowned.

"Don't ruin it for the rest of us, Seto." She mummered.

"Aw, YEAH! The beach!" Joey cried happily, stretching his arms. "Honda, I hope you're ready to be totally smoked by me in volleyball!"

Honda smirked.

"Yeah right! You're the one who's gonna get smoked!" He exclaimed.

"It's a really nice place." Yugi said. "The hotel we're staying at looks fancy too."

"I love the ocean so much." Cat sighed. "It's so beautiful and peaceful."

"It is." Atemu said.

"The beach at night is also very beautiful. Especially when the moon is reflecting off the ocean." Cat said, her gaze not leaving the ocean. "It would be nice to talk a walk on the beach at night."

Atemu smiled at her. "I'll go with you." He said. Cat smiled up at him.

"Okay!"

"Alright everyone! Please gather your bags and head to the hotel! Please pick two to three people you would like to share a room with! Boys cannot share the same room as girls! And girls cannot share the same room as boys!" The teacher announced. "Let's go!"

Everyone followed the teacher's and chaperones to the hotel.

* * *

**Whoo! Another update! It was taking me a while to figure out what to write next...so I just came up with this. ^^; lol**

**I hope you enjoyed it! :D Sorry it's short...again...hehe.**

**Oh yes! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! :D I'm in a little bit of a rush, cuz my family wants to drag me away to a relatives house for Thanksgiving...*claws at ground* NOOOOOO~!!  
**


	96. Beach, Sun and Ocean!

"TRY HITTIN' THIS!"

Joey jumped in the air and spiked the volleyball as hard as he could. Honda dove for it, but bearly missed it.

"HA! Eat that Honda!" Joey said smugly. "I'd start worrying if I were you!"

Honda stood up, brushing the sand off of him.

"Yeah right! The game's just started!" He called back, before retrieving the volleyball and tossing it back to Joey.

It took everyone about an hour and a half to drop off their luggage and pick rooms and roommates.

Kay, Cat, and Anzu all stayed in a room together as roommates.

Atemu and Yugi decided to be roommates while Joey and Honda decided to be roommates. Everyone wasn't sure it was such a good idea for Joey and Honda to be roommates. They'd probably make a bunch of noise, challenging each other all night and smacking each other around with pillows or whatever they could find.

Kaiba, of course, was able to get his own room by himself, somehow. Everyone didn't really bother to question how he was able to pull that off. It was Kaiba after all.

After lunch and an hour long tour of the area, everyone immediately changed into their swimsuits and ran to the beach.

Joey wore green swimming trunks while Honda wore brown swimming trunks.

Anzu wore a light pink, two-piece swimsuit and Yugi wore dark blue swimming trunks.

Kay wore a blue one-piece and almost couldn't believe that Kaiba had actually changed into summer wear. He was wearing dark blue swimming shorts and a grey button up shirt. Everyone figured it must of had something to do with what Joey said on the bus.

Atemu was in blue swim trunks himself and wore a white open jacket. He was waiting for Cat, who hadn't come out yet.

Joey and Honda had formed a volleyball game. And even though other classmates were playing with them, it seemed to be just a personal match between Joey and Honda.

Yugi was playing with them and was on Joey's team.

Anzu took this chance to sunbathe while she waited for Joey, Yugi and Honda to finish their current match. Once Anzu had come out and asked Joey and Honda if she could play with them, it somehow became an argument. Mostly because Joey and Honda didn't think Anzu stood a chance against even one of them.

Kaiba sat on a beach chair and read a book. Normally, he would be working on a laptop, but the chair was too close to the ocean and he didn't want anything to happen to it.

Atemu sat at a table and looked out to the ocean. Kay walked up to him.

"Where's Cat?" She asked. Atemu looked up at her.

"She's still changing, I think." Atemu answered.

Kay raised an eyebrow.

"Still? It's been a while." Kay sighed. "I'll go check on her."

***

Cat stood by herself in the beach's changing room.

She sighed. "I can't believe I'm feeling self-conscious already." She mummered under her breath.

Cat had bought a new swimsuit for the trip, but she as having second thoughts. The swimsuit she had was a two piece white swimsuit. The only problem was, was that it was "bikini-like". Cat realized she probably should have put more thought into it before she bought it.

Currently, Cat was wearing a long, button up, white shirt over her embarrassing swimsuit. But even though she was wearing that, she was still hesitent.

Usually Cat wore low pigtails when she went swimming, but she decided to keep her hair in her usual ponytail today.

She blushed to herself.

"This'll be the first time I see Atemu in a swimsuit." She muttered before leaning against the wall. "This'll be the first time ANYONE has seen me in a swimsuit!"

"CAAATT! Are you still in here?!"

Cat looked up from leaning against the wall and turned her head towards the enterance. Kay walked in.

"Why the heck are you still in here?" She asked. "You're making your "beloved" wait." Cat blushed again.

"I'm aware." She mummered. "But..."

"And why are you wearing a shirt over your swimsuit? Don't tell me you're feeling insecure!" Kay said, putting her hands on her hips.

"And that's new?" Cat asked. Kay sighed.

"Whatever, Cat. You have no reason to feel insecure. Now c'mon, so your boyfriend can drool at you and I can get pictures. Because it would be quite a funny sight to see Atemu like that." Kay said, pulling on Cat's arm.

"W-Wait! Kay!" Cat cried as she was being dragged out.

Kay finally dragged Cat out onto the beach and over to where Atemu was.

"Here, I brought your lost princess." Kay joked, pulling Cat up to the table. Cat stumbled a little, almost hitting the table. She frowned a little at Kay, blushing brightly.

Atemu smiled and stood up.

"There you are Cat. I was wondering where you were." He said. Cat looked over at him shyly and didn't say anything.

"She was hanging around the changing room refusing to leave because she was too insecure." Kay explained. Cat shot Kay a look.

"N-No need to explain, Kay!" She cried.

"Speaking of which..." Kay said, glancing at Cat. "You really need to take that shirt off so Atemu can gawk at you. And if you don't in 30 minutes, then I'll throw you into the ocean."

With that, Kay walked off. Atemu sweatdropped.

"Um..."gawk"?" He asked.

"Ignore that." Cat mummered.

There was silence between the two for a moment.

"So, uh...why the shirt?" Atemu asked.

Cat blushed again.

"Its to cover up the embarrassing swimsuit I bought." Cat admitted.

"Embarrassing? It can't be that bad." Atemu said.

"It is to me." Cat said.

"If it's embarrassing, then why did you get it?"

"Let's just say I didn't think about it enough before I bought it."

"Oh."

"TIMES UP!"

Before either of them could react, Kay grabbed one of Cat's arms and Joey grabbed her other arm.

"Wha? WHA?" Cat gasped. "I thought you were waiting 30 minutes!"

"30 minutes...30 seconds..." Kay shrugged. "Lets go!"

Kay and Joey darted to the ocean, dragging poor Cat along with them.

Once they got to the water's edge, they tossed Cat in.

Cat screamed before she hit the water.

Atemu walked over to where Kay and Joey were. The two of them were busy laughing.

"Was that necessary?" Atemu asked, glancing at Kay and Joey.

"Yes. Yes it was." Kay laughed.

Cat finally resurfaced and gasped for air. Once she was able to get her breath back, she pouted a little.

"Geez you two..." She mummbled and walked out of the water.

"Okay Cat. You got 30 more seconds before me and Joey toss you back into the ocean." Kay said, grinning.

"You're being very ruthless today." Cat mummered. Kay only grinned.

Cat sighed and started to unbutton her shirt.

"Remind me to get you back for this." She mummered.

"As if you could." Kay said.

Cat sighed and took off the shirt and started to wring the water out.

While Cat was doing that, Atemu blinked and blushed a little as he examined her swimsuit. Cat tossed the shirt aside and blushed a little, not looking at Atemu.

"I...uh." Atemu cleared his throat. "It doesn't look embarrassing. It looks nice."

"Thanks." Cat mummered.

"Sheesh, Atemu. You were supposed to have this really funny gawking look on your face!" Kay scolded. "You disappoint me."

"Sorry." Atemu said.

"Hmph. I guess I brought the camera along for nothing." Kay sighed, pulling out a camera from behind her back.

"You were seriously going to take pictures?"

"Yes."

Atemu sweatdropped.

"Okay."

"It really shouldn't come to you as a surprise Atemu. We've all been friends long enough for you to know." Kay said simply before walking back to her bag to return the camera.

Joey was about to say something until he was smacked in the back of the head with a volleyball. He turned around to glare at the person who threw it.

"JOEY! Get over here! The new game is about to start!" Anzu shouted impatiently.

Joey, still glaring, marched over to where everyone else was.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! I'M COMING!" He yelled.

Atemu chuckled as he watched Joey before facing Cat again.

"Well then. I'll go get us some drinks. Wait here." He said walking towards her.

Once he reached the side of her, he whispered something in her ear and continued on to get drinks.

Cat's face turned completely red. Kay walked back up to Cat.

"Cat? You're completely red! What did Atemu say to you?" She asked. Cat shook her head violetnly.

"N-N-N-NOTHING! I-It's n-nothing! R-Really!" Cat cried with embarrassment.  
Kay raised an eyebrow.

"You're not going to tell me are you? Well, whatever. All I know is that it must have been pretty big. I've never seen you get that embarrassed when Atemu tells you something." She mummered with her arms crossed over her chest.

Cat looked down, still as red as ever.

"I-I don't even know if he was s-serious or not a-anyways. S-s-so it doesn't matter." She mummered in a slightly high pitch than usual.

Kay sweatdropped.

"By the sound of things, it sounds AND looks like you're about to faint." She said, raising her eyebrow again. "Go sit down, woman."

Cat nodded and shuffled her way over to the nearest table to sit down and calm down...that is...until Kay dumped a bucket of sea water on her head.

* * *

**Whew. I'm sorry that this chapter is so short...I've been a little short on ideas for "Eternal Snow". But I'll keep on trying to think up something good! :D**

**But I'm happy I was able to finish this chapter for today. Even if it is short. Sometimes I just don't know what the reader's want to see. Anywho, sorry for the lack of updates. I haven't been on much either. **

**But! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D  
**


	97. Confessions and Friendship

Cat, Kay, Joey, Yugi and Anzu walked through the busy streets of the marketplace.

It was day two of their class trip and everyone was roaming around the town. Either being with friends, exploring the area or shopping.

Like yesterday, the day was hot. But a cool breeze blew through occasionally, making the leaves on the tree rustle gently.

All the students were in their school uniforms.

Joey threw his arms into the air, stretching.

"Aw, YEAH! The weather is great today!" He said loudly and sighed. "I may have to return to the beach again later today."

"Oh? And create another sunburn, Joey?" Anzu asked, grinning.

Joey frowned at her.

"Quiet you." He mummbled.

Kay grinned. "Ah, this should be an eventful day!" She sighed.

Cat looked at Kay.  
"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Don't you know?" Kay asked before pausing. "Ah...maybe not. Anyways, class trips are real hot spots for confessing your love to the person you like!"

Cat blinked.

"R-Really? I didn't know that."

"Obviously." Kay snickered, rolling her eyes.

"Is that so, huh?" Yugi asked. "Well I guess I can see why the students do that."

"Yeah, but the sad part is, is that confessing your love to someone will decide whether this will be a good class trip, or bad one." Anzu said.

"That's true. Rejection can be very painful." Cat agreed.

Joey snorted, grinning.

"Yeah well...I don't have any worries." He said, putting his hands on his hips, looking smug. "I don't have any doubts that the ladies will start linin' up soon."

Everyone stared at Joey. Either sweatdropping or frowning with unamusement.

"I'm such a heartbreaker." Joey sniffed smugly.

Anzu whacked him over the head.

"Shut up." She muttered.

Everyone except Anzu and Joey laughed.

Cat looked up in thought. "By the way...when were we supposed to meet the others?" She asked.

Kay glanced at her watch.

"We're meeting them up for lunch. Sooo...we have about an hour before they arrive." She said.

"What were they doing again?" Yugi asked.

Kay shrugged.

"I dunno. Didn't bother to ask." She said.

Yugi sweatdropped.

"Oh..."

"Excuse me..."

The five friends turned.

A young man stood behind them, looking a little shy. He had green eyes, black hair and was the same height as Kay.

"Oh hey! You're...Sosuke, right?" Joey asked.

Sosuke nodded.

"Yes and I...um...I wanted to talk to Anzu for a moment." He said shyly.

Anzu blinked at pointed to herself.

"Me?" She asked.

Sosuke nodded again.

"Okay...um, I'll be right back guys." Anzu said as she followed Sosuke.

The four stared at the two as they left.

A grin spread across Kay and Joey's faces.

"Ah, it's a love confession!" Kay exclaimed.

"Exactly! I do NOT want to miss this!" Joey said, running in the direction that Sosuke and Anzu left.

"J-Joey! Where are you going?!" Cat cried.

"Where else? C'mon guys! We gotta see this!" Joey called back.

The other three stood still.

"Well...might as well watch." Kay snickered, following Joey.

"What?" Cat and Yugi asked at the same time.

"Why not? It'll give us something to do! C'mon you two!" Kay said.

Cat and Yugi stayed still for a little while before sighing.

"Should we go?" Cat asked.

"Might as well..." Yugi answered before the two hurried after their other friends.

* * *

"S-So...I was...y'know...w-wondering...if...you're single...that...you would, uh...be...my girl. G-Girlfriend."

Sosuke was blushing brightly as he stumbled across his words, standing opposite to Anzu.

Kay, Joey, Yugi and Cat all watched secretly.

"I knew it!" Joey whispered.

"What's she gonna say?" Kay wondered.

There was silence between Sosuke and Anzu for a little while. Sosuke blushed a little more at the awkward silence.

"Th-That is...if you want to..." He added in.

Anzu gazed softly at the ground with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I'm afraid I can't return your feelings. You see...there's still another in my heart...and I haven't been able to let go yet."

Anzu lifted her head and smiled a little more. "Besides...what good is a girlfriend who's in still in love with the person they can't let go of?" She laughed, trying to joke.

Sosuke looked a little sad but smiled.

"I understand." He said.

"WHHAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

Sosuke and Anzu snapped their heads in the direction of the yell.

The source of the noise was Joey. He stood in the open, looking annoyed.

"C'MON ANZU! Give us something to work with here!" Joey cried.

Kay, Cat and Yugi all glanced at each other and sighed, knowing it was no use hiding anymore. They walked out behind Joey. Kay punched him in the back of the head.

"OW!" Joey cried, rubbing the back of his head.

"Loudmouth." Kay growled.

"You..."

Everyone turned their attention back at Anzu, who, to their horror, looked VERY angry.

"You...all...spyed on us?!" She growled.

"Wh-Whoa! Calm down Anzu!" Kay cried, waving her hands. "Joey forced us to do it!" She pointed at Joey.

Joey whipped his head in Kay's direction.

"Say WHAT?!" He cried.

"Well, it IS true." Kay said.

"JOOOOEEEEEEYYY!" Anzu yelled and grabbed his ear.

"OW! OW! HEY! STOP! OW!" Joey cried in pain.

"YOU IDIOT! HOW DARE YOU EAVESDROP ON US!!!" Anzu yelled in Joey's ear.

Sosuke, scared of the sudden rage, took this chance to sneak away.

While Anzu and Joey bickered, Cat was lost in thought.

_"You see...there's still another in my heart...and I haven't been able to let go yet." _

That sentence echoed in Cat's head.

"_Anzu..._" She thought to herself, looking up at Anzu, who was still fighting with Joey. "_You're...still in love with Atemu...aren't you?_"

***

"Hey, its almost lunch time. Do you think we should head over to the place where we said we would meet the others?" Kay asked, looking at her watch.

"Yeah. We should probably head on over." Yugi said.

Cat was quite the whole way. She was still thinking about what Anzu had said earlier. Cat knew that Anzu always had a crush on the Pharaoh...but...when it was almost time for Atemu to leave, she had forgotten all about it.

Cat bit her lip. She felt bad...Atemu and her were now together and in love...but she had forgotten about Anzu's feelings. Cat glanced at Anzu who was still ocassionally bickering with Joey.

"_Anzu's good and keeping a straight face...she must be heartbroken that Atemu chose me instead of her...ARGH! I feel so bad! But...what can I do?_" Cat thought to herself.

"HEY! CAT! WHERE YA GOIN'?!"

Cat stopped and turned around, snapping out of her thoughts.

Everyone stood in front of a building, along with Atemu, Kaiba and Honda, who had just arrived. They were all staring at her, confused.

Cat sweatdropped and looked embarrassed. She was so lost in her thoughts that she had walked right past the building they were all meeting at.

"Everything alright, Cat?" Atemu asked as Cat walked back up to them.

"Y-Yeah...sorry. I was lost in my thoughts." Cat mummered.

"You're such a scatterbrain! You could walk in front of a bus and not notice until you got hit by it!" Joey exclaimed.

Atemu frowned at Joey.

"Don't even joke about that..." He warned.

"Yeah. It could actually happen." Kay said simply, shrugging.

Atemu sweatdropped.

"That's not helping, Kay." He mummered.

Kay only grinned.

Anzu stared at Cat for a moment before frowning a little and sighing. She looked back at all her other friends.

"Why don't you guys go in and get a table for us all. I need to talk to Cat alone for a moment." She said.

Everyone blinked, confused. But they didn't object.

"Alright. We'll see you inside." Honda said as everyone walked in.

Anzu waved to them kindly before turning back to Cat, looking a little annoyed. Cat blinked.

"Anzu? What did you want to talk to me abo-OW!"

Anzu pinched both of Cat's cheeks and pulled.

"Knock it off already, Cat!" Anzu snapped.

"Ow! OW! What!?" Cat cried.

Anzu let go and Cat rubbed her cheeks painfully.

"Look...I know what your moping about." Anzu said, putting her hands on her hips. "Just knock it off already. I'm fine."

Cat looked at her.

"What?" She asked.

Anzu sighed, her face calming a bit. "Its true. I still have...a little "crush" on the Pharaoh. But the last thing I need is you getting all worried about it." She said. "I'm fine. Stop worrying about my feelings."

"I'm sorry Anzu..." Cat mummered. "It's just...I had forgotten about how you might have felt. And...it made me feel really bad for not considering your feelings. I just...couldn't tell. You never acted like anything was bothering you around us. So...my mind was probably made to believe that you had gotten over him."

"I'll admit...it hurt for a little while. But I'm fine. I'm starting to let go. So don't worry about my feelings. And don't you dare make me regret backing off for your sake." Anzu said sternly.

Cat looked back at Anzu.

Anzu smiled.

"You're still my friend. I'm not going to let a guy get in the way of our friendship." She said.

Cat smiled a little.

"Thank you, Anzu."

"Forget about it. Let's go inside. Everyone's probably wondering what's taking us so long." Anzu said, pointing her thumb to the doorway.

Cat smiled again and nodded.

"Yeah!"

* * *

**Another update! YAY! :D**

***crickets chirp***

**...Right then. *ahem***

**Anyways, this chapter is short too...sorry about that. But I think its a little longer than the last. I'm running low on ideas and I need to figure out a way to end it soon...I'll think of something!**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it! :D See ya next chappie!  
**


	98. Precious Things

"S-So...! You see...I...I've...always...liked you!"

A short girl with long, black hair and black eyes, blushed brightly as she stared at her feet.

She fidgeted.

"I...I-I, um...already know...th-that you have a...girl...friend...but..." The girl looked up, pleading. "If you'd give me a chance...! I...promise you won't be...d-disappointed..."

Atemu looked at the shy girl in front of him. His eyes softened.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid there is only one girl, who can have my heart." He said.

The girl looked back down, tears in her eyes.

"Whats...so special about her anyways? Is she that important to you that she makes you push everyone else away? You act like...like...she's the only reason you live! Like...you've waited millions of years for her! Its like you worship her! It's unhealthy!"

Atemu blinked, surprised.

A sudden outburst? Maybe this girl wasn't as shy as she first seemed.

"She's just a normal girl! If...if you would only give me a chance then...everyday would be exciting! It would be fun! It would never be boring!" The girl pushed on. "I've liked you since you first arrived to Domino High! So...please..." Tears began to run down her eyes.

A wind blew by with the silence.

Atemu sighed.

"I'm sorry..."

* * *

"I DON'T believe these children! We have students roaming around the building! There are boys in the girls' rooms and girl's in the boys' rooms! And some students had the nerves to sneak out!" A middle-aged teacher ranted.

"Mr. Shida...please calm down. They're teenagers. What did you expect?" One of the younger male teachers yawned.

"That DOESN'T make it right!" Mr. Shida continued to rant. "They should know better than that! Anyways, let's go! We need to find the students that snuck out of the building."

The other teacher sighed.

"Geez...I'm tired." He groaned.

"Stop complaining! It's our responsibility as teachers! Now lets go!" Mr. Shida scolded and marched off with the other teacher.

The teachers had all the students gather in two large rooms. The girls in one room and boys in another. It was to see who was still here and who wasn't. They were to stay there until all the students were found and gathered together.

Kay laid back on one of the soft sofa's next to Anzu. All the girls were in their PJ's.

"Ugh! Stupid people! I wanna go to sleep! Whenever they find those students, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind for making me lose sleep!" She complained.

"It can't be helped." Anzu sighed.

Cat sat in a large soft chair next to them.

"Why would they do this anyways?" She asked.

"Oh? Did I forget to tell you?" Kay asked, glancing at Cat. "Not only are Class trips hotspots for love confessions. But also "first times"." She said.

"First times? Like...first kisses?" Cat asked.

"Yep. That and much more." Kay grinned.

Cat sweatdropped.

"I get it." She muttered.

Kay put her hands behind her head.

"Speaking of which...we got a lot of confessions today." She said looking up in thought. "Anzu got one...I got one...Kaiba got...geez...five? Yugi had three...Cat, you didn't get any."

Cat leaned back on the chair and hugged her knees.

"Well...I didn't expect any." She said.

Kay grinned.

"I'll bet you'll get one tomorrow." She said. "Much to Joey and Honda's...well...mostly Joey's, dismay, they didn't get any confessions."

"I thought Joey was still stuck on Mai?" Cat asked.

"I don't really know. I didn't ask him. But...whether he is or not, he just wants to brag that he's a "ladies man". You know Joey." Kay said.

Anzu frowned a little.

"Yeah. That's Joey. As stupid as ever." She said.

"Atemu got a few too today, didn't he? He told us that at lunch earlier today. He said one was REALLY persistant. Who was it again?" Kay asked.

Anzu pointed at the girl with long black hair, sitting and talking with her friends.

"It was her." She pointed out.

Cat looked at the girl.

She was beauitful...but she seemed like the reserved type. Cat had a hard time imaging the girl as "persistant".

While Cat was still looking at the girl, the girl suddenly turned and looked at Cat.

Cat blinked in surprise and the girl suddenly shot a fierce glare at her. Cat stiffened up and quickly looked away.

"I-I don't think she likes me very much..." Cat said, freaked out.

"Don't be such a ditz, Cat. Of COURSE she doesn't like you. You're the girlfriend of the guy she likes. And you're most certianly the reason why she was shot down earlier today." Kay said casually.

"Ah...ah..." Cat said weakly.

"Don't let it get you down Cat. She'll get over it eventually." Anzu said.

"Yeah...I guess." Cat agreed, smiling weakly before she glanced at the girl again, who was still giving her a hard glare.

* * *

Joey and Honda leaned against each other on the sofa as they slept and snored. Yugi slept quietly in a chair next to them. Kaiba was busy typing on a laptop in another chair.

Atemu sat in a chair himself and was leaning his head against his hand as he glanced at his other friends.

Everyone was tired and they hated waiting in this room for students who decided to break the rules.

The other male students were either sleeping, chatting with one another or goofing off, playing pranks on the guys that were sleeping.

Atemu was tired himself.

"_I wonder what the girls are doing..._" He wondered absently to himself. "_I wonder what Cat's doing...sleeping maybe..._"

He shut his eyes, his thoughts suddenly turning to the girl who had confessed her love to him earlier that day.

_"Whats...so special about her anyways? Is she that important to you that she makes you push everyone else away? You act like...like...she's the only reason you live! Like...you've waited millions of years for her! Its like you worship her! It's unhealthy!"_

There was a lot of things that were very special to Atemu about Cat.

He couldn't agree that Cat made him "push people away".

But what the girl had said was partly true.

If it wasn't for his love for Cat...then...he would be in the afterlife right now. So...in a way...she was the main reason why he was alive right now.

A million years...thats a little over the top. The correct number was _3,000 years_. Not "a million".

He had waited 3,000 years for Cat. And the strange thing was...was that in his time as Pharaoh, he thought Luna was the only one for him.

Atemu chuckled to himself quietly at how things had turned out.

But no...Luna was merely the key...no...not the key...the guardian of the key, which led him to Cat. The silver cartouche was the key.

If it wasn't for the cartouche, things may have not turned out the way they did.

Atemu kept his eyes closed as he remembered the first time the two had met.

How shy and meek she was... that smile...

_"Atemu...would you think it that it would be weird if I told you that I want to be with you, forever?" Cat asked, laughing happily._

"Hey...buddy! Wake up! HEY!"

Atemu slowly opened his eyes. Joey was shaking him.

"You awake pal? We're heading back to our rooms now." He said.

Atemu sat up rubbed his face, sighing.

"Did I fall asleep?" He asked.

"Yeah. You must have been really tired, like us." Honda said.

"I see." Atemu mummered. _Must have been dreaming about Cat..._

"C'mon. Let's get back to our rooms and sleep more." Yugi yawned.

Atemu stood up silently and followed his friends back to their rooms.

* * *

After breakfast, everyone head out either to the beach or marketplace for their last day of the class trip. Everyone was going to head back home to Domino at about 5:00 pm.

Through all the excitement, Cat found herself separated from all her friends.

She stood in the middle of the marketplace, sighing. She played with a pieces of her hair, which she had left down instead of a ponytail that day.

"Where did everyone go? Geez...its the last day of the class trip and I get lost. Not exactly the kind of day I had hoped for." She mummered to herself.

Without any destination, her feet began to walk while she looked around for any of her friends' familiar faces.

As she continued to walk, she discovered that she had wondered in a less popular area. Without her realizing.

Cat looked around.

"Great. Now I'm really lost." She sighed, a hopeless look on her face.

"Cat Tsuru!"

Cat looked over her shoulder to find the girl who had confessed her feelings to Atemu. She was frowning at Cat.

"Ah...! You're...that girl from before." Cat said.

"My name is Mizuki!" The girl scoffed. "Not "girl"."

"Oh...sorry, I didn't realize-"

"Stop the act and just follow me!"

Mizuki turned and started to walk towards an ally. Cat wasn't sure if she should follow...but she did anyways. Maybe she just needed to ask her something?

Once the two were in the allyway, Mizuki turned on Cat, her face fierce.

"Tell me. What's so special about you?" Mizuki asked angrily, putting her arms across her chest.

Cat blinked.

"What...? Nothing-"

"I SAID drop the act!" Mizuki snapped, cutting Cat off.

"I'm sorry, but what "act" are you talking about??" Cat asked.

"The way you're acting! You sit there and act like you're so sweet and innocent and cute! And you act like you're so clueless about everything! I hate girls like you!" Mizuki cried. "And you use that act to get your way and whatever you want!"

Cat held up her hands defensively.

"Whoa! Wait a minute! Don't just assume such things!" Cat said.

"I'm not assuming anything! How else could you have won Atemu over?!" Mizuki yelled.

Cat stayed silent. She knew this was coming.

"I'm not acting." Cat muttered.

"You ARE! There's nothing special about you, so you have to go off and decieve everyone! But you're not fooling me! You're nothing but an evil, manipulating...!" Mizuki was so angry, she couldn't finish her sentence. Instead, she took a step towards Cat and slapped her as hard as she could.

The attack was strong enough to force Cat to fall backwards, landing on her bottom.

Mizuki glared down at Cat, tears at the corners of her eyes. Cat pressed her hand against her cheek, where she was slapped.

After a moment of silence between the two, Mizuki finally fell to her knees and cried, covering her face with her hands.

"I hate you...I HATE YOU!" Mizuki sobbed.

Cat stared at the girl in front of her. There was silence and the only thing that could be heard was Mizuki's sobs.

It stayed that way for a moment.

Cat felt her own tears well up in her eyes.

* * *

"Ouch!"

Everyone looked at Atemu.

"Good job, whacking your arm against that pole, Atemu." Kay said, her eyelids lowering in sarcasm.

Atemu rubbed his arm.

"Thanks." He muttered, returning the sarcasm.

Joey laughed.

"That was very clumsy of you. You never do things like that. Maybe Cat got hurt somewhere." He laughed.

"Maybe she did. You know, I heard once that when two people share a really close bond, even if they're far apart, if one of them gets hurt the other person feels pain too." Honda said, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about.

"In that case, maybe what we said earlier came true and she got hit by a bus!" Joey joked.

Atemu glared at Joey.

"Remember what I said about not even joking about something like that?" He growled.

Anzu smacked Joey over the head, hard.

"He's right! Don't be stupid!" She snapped.

"OW! Why do you always have to hit me, Anzu?!" Joey snapped, holding his head painfully.

"Because you always deserve it!" Anzu replied loudly.

Again, the two began to bicker.

"They fight a lot don't they?" Honda mummered.

Yugi laughed weakly.

"Yeah. We should be pretty used to it by now." He said.

"Even though what Joey said is most likely not the case, it is possible. Cat's my friend and all, but she spaces out easily." Kay said. "We'd better continue to look for her and make sure she's okay."

"Yeah, good idea." Yugi said.

"Hehe, too bad this isn't like Battle City. Because then Kaiba could just find her through his satellite system." Kay giggled.

"Are you suggesting I implant a tracking device into Cat?" Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe." Kay said, glancing to the side. "Either that or we should put her on a leash." She paused. "Joey needs a leash too while we're at it."

"HEY!" Joey yelled.

* * *

"_I HATE YOU!_"

Cat rubbed the sore spot on her cheek as she continued on her journey to find her friends.

"Maybe it would have been a good idea to bring my cell phone with me." She muttered absently.

Sighing, she remembered Mizuki. After the two went their separate ways, Cat took a moment to cry. Not only because of the pain in her cheek, but also because there was a mix of anger and pity inside of her.

She was angry that Mizuki had slapped her but...she couldn't help but feel a little bad for her. Only because Cat knew the feeling of being heartbroken was a terrible and crushing feeling. It was a feeling that could hardly be described.

She sighed again.

"Well...I know Mizuki will find love someday. All heartbroken people will." She said to herself, not removing her hand from her cheek.

Cat smiled when she thought of Atemu.

"Even I did..."

"Cat!"

Cat stopped and looked around. Did someone just call her name?

"CAT!"

Where?

"CccaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT!!!"

"KYAH!"

Cat was nearly knocked over by Kay, who had ran to Cat full speed before practically tackling the clueless girl.

"There you are! GEEZ woman! I swear we were looking under every rock to find you!" Kay exclaimed, letting go of Cat.

"Oh...uh...sorry?" Cat said, smiling weakly.

"Whatever. At least we found you." Kay said just as everyone had finally caught up with the blond.

"Cat...there you are. I was worried." Atemu breathed as he approached Cat with relief.

"Yeah, anyone would be worried after all the terrible possibilities that Joey brought up." Honda said, glancing at Joey.

Joey frowned.

"Hey! She COULD have fallen into the ocean! She COULD have been hit by a bus! She COULD ha-"

Anzu slapped a hand over Joey's mouth.

"That's quite enough Joey. We get the point." She said, irritated.

Joey struggled to try and get Anzu's hand off of his mouth.

Atemu chuckled.

"Well...its true that Joey's assumptions didn't help much. But..." His voice trailed off and his smile disappeared. "Cat? What happened to your face?"

"Eh?" Cat blinked and realized that her cheek was probably still red from the earlier attack. "Oh...this?" She asked, placing her hand on her cheek.

"Uh-oh. Cat, tat didn't happen to you because I tackled you, right?" Kay asked.

Cat shook her head.

"No. I...just got slapped is all." She replied.

"Slapped?" Atemu repeated. "Why? Who?"

Cat shook her head again.

"It doesn't matter." She said.

Atemu placed her hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes sternly.

"No, it DOES matter. Who attacked you?" He asked.

Cat remained silent.

"Hey, we can discuss it later. Right now, I think we should probably put some ice on her cheek. It'll probably feel better after that." Yugi said.

"Yeah. C'mon you two." Kay agreed.

Atemu didn't move until he let go of her shoulders and, instead, wrapped his arm around her waist tightly and followed their friends, pulling Cat along.

Cat sighed once more and glanced up at Atemu.

"_He's going to want to hear the story. But...even though I'm still not happy with Mizuki...she was just rejected by Atemu recently. If I tell him that she slapped me, then he might go and confront her. And that would only rub salt in the wound, right? Sigh...I'd better think up an excuse._" She thought to herself.

* * *

Everyone sat around a table in the marketplace. They had all stopped for drinks and to get a small bag of ice for Cat.

Cat held the bag of ice to her cheek while she silently sipped the juice she bought. Everyone was fairly quiet at the table. Their eyes would occassionally glance back at Atemu, who hadn't said a word since he asked Cat who hurt her.

He had bought water and hardly paid attention to it. Instead, he paid attention to the piece of Cat's hair he was playing with, leaning against the table with his elbow and resting his head in his hand.

Cat did her best to not make eye contact with him, for she was still trying to think up a good excuse.

"AUGH! Somebody start a conversation or somethin'! The silence is killin' me!" Joey finally snapped, breaking the silence.

"Sorry Joey. The air has been kind of tense since we came here." Honda said simply, glancing at Atemu to prove his point.

"Only because the Pharaoh has been sulking ever since Cat refused to say anything." Kaiba pointed out, looking rather bored.

"Yeah, and I think he's in his own world, ignoring us." Kay said, playing with her straw. "Cat, why don't you just tell him and us what happened so Atemu will stop pouting?"

"Um..." Cat mummbled. She didn't have a good excuse for her other friends either. "C...C-can I...just tell you on the way home...?"

Everyone blinked and Kay would about to say something until Atemu cut in.

"That's fine." He said, not stopping what he was doing.

Kay did an overly dramatic gasp.  
"I don't believe this! H-he SPOKE!" She cried, pretending to be shocked.

Atemu ignored Kay's pretend overly dramatic moment and continued. "Just as long as you tell me what happened. You know I hate it when you get hurt."

Cat looked down sheepishly at her drink.

"I-I know." She muttered.

Anzu looked at her watch.

"Well...since that's settled, we should probably head out if we want to play around before we have to pack up and leave. We have a few hours left before we have to return to the hotel." She reported.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go guys." Yugi said, smiling.

Everyone nodded.

* * *

"Man...I don't want the class trip to be over yet!" Joey complained, slouching in his seat.

"I know. But it was fun anyways, right?" Yugi pointed out.

"Yeah. It was." Joey agreed.

Everyone was on their way back to Domino City; riding the bus home. The seats that everyone had sat in on the way to the beach, were the seats they were to sit in again.

Some of the students were sleeping while others either sat quietly or chatted with their other friends.

Honda was sleeping while Anzu read a book. She occasionally nudged Honda as a sign that she wanted him to stop snoring.

Joey and Yugi chatted with each other.

And Kay had fallen asleep against Kaiba's shoulder while he worked on his laptop.

Cat sat silently in her seat, staring out the window.

"So?"

Cat looked at Atemu, who was staring at her.

"So...what?" Cat asked.

"Are you going to tell me now?" Atemu asked.

Cat sweatdropped.  
"_He...he remembered..._" She thought to herself.

Everyone had fun after they had left the drink shop, and the red mark on Cat's cheek had eventually gone away with time.

"Well?"

Cat sighed.

"When...I was separated from everyone...I ran into Mizuki...and she was very angry at me. She yelled at me for a while before slapping me." She explained obediently.

Atemu was silent.

"Mizuki...the girl that confessed to me the day before?" He asked. Cat nodded slowly.

"But...please don't bring it up with her or scold her." Cat added in. "I mean...I figured that...since you rejected her, she was in enough pain...and...well...you know."

Atemu smiled and turned her head to face him.

"I understand. Thank you for telling me. To tell the truth, I wouldn't have confronted Mizuki anyways. Even though I'm certainly not happy with her, for slapping you." He said calmly.

Cat smiled weakly.

"Ah...I-I...didn't say anything at first because I was worried you were going to confront her...or...something." She admitted.

Atemu chuckled.

"Don't worry." He said. "Cat, its sweet of you consider other people's feelings. Even if they did you wrong. I guess thats one of the many reasons why I love you."

Cat blushed a little and laughed weakly.

"O-oh...?" Was all she could say.

Atemu chuckled again before kissing her gently on the lips.

Once they pulled away Cat blushed more before leaning against Atemu's shoulder.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to being kissed." She sighed.

Atemu laughed lightly, wrapping an arm around her.

"That's all right. You have a cute blush." He said.

Cat didn't reply as she buried her face in his shoulder.

* * *

**Tah-DAAAAAHHH!**

**I'm happy that this chapter was a lot longer than my other past few ones. :D Yay!**

**Anyways...I wanted to end the Class Trip in this chapter, so I did so. While I was writing it, I discovered that it was starting to sound too dramatic-like. (And Shojo-like.) And I didn't like how it turned out too much. So I left it alone for a while and erased a bunch of stuff. Fixed it up. And I guess I'm satisfied with how the chapter ended up. :D Hehe.**

**Anyways! I hope you enjoyed it! I tried to have this chapter focus a little more on Atemu and Cat's relationship. In different chapters, I try to focus on all the characters in general, but sometimes I'll have it focus a little more on a character or a love or friendship between two characters. So yeah. I'll stop blabbering now. Lol**

**I have a great idea for the next "arc" of the story. And it might be the last one of "Eternal Snow". Eternal Snow has been on-going and I figured I need to find a place to end it. Besides, I doubt this'll be the last story I write about Cat and Atemu and all the other characters. (Kay, Kaiba, Joey, Honda, Anzu, Yugi, ect.)**

**Anyways, we'll see how the next arc will turn out. Its still a new idea, so I gotta plan and sort it out some more. And I dunno how long it'll be. We'll have to see.**

**Yeah. I said I would stop talking earlier. This A/N ended up being longer than I wanted it to be. Sorry guys. :P lol**

**See you next chapter! :D  
**


	99. Calm Before the Storm

"Oh my gosh! Did you see him??"

"Oooohhh! He's so CUTE!"

"He's apparently a business owner too!"

"What? There's another Kaiba figure now?"

"I hope he's not snobby..."

"No way! I heard he's really nice! Especially to girls!"

"Eee, really?!"

"Let's go find him!"

"Yeah! Let's go!"

Jounouchi stared at the classroom doorway as he leaned back on his chair. He looked back at his other friends.

"Hey guys! What do you think those girls were talking about?" He asked.

"Who cares? It sounds like they were just fangirling over some new student to me. Those fangirls are annoying." Kay said, leaning against a desk.

"There's a new student?" Cat asked.

"Yeah. He's the biggest thing going on at our school currently." Anzu said. "I haven't seen him myself though."

"I have. He just seems like one of those pretty boys to me." Honda added in. "But beside that, he seems like a pretty nice guy to me."

"Well, he sounds like a CEO or something. At least that's what the girls were sayin'." Jounouchi said.

"Another CEO? Hmm...maybe he's the owner of that company that Seto was talking about." Kay wondered.

"A new company? What do they do?" Yugi asked.

"I didn't hear all of it...but apparently it's some research company that moved here from Egypt. They're not as big as Kaiba Corp." Kay explained.

"Egypt?" Atem repeated.

"Yup." Kay nodded.

"I'd bet this would be a pretty interesting guy. We should meet him." Yugi said, smiling.

"Yeah, maybe we'll even become friends with him." Anzu added in.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go find him!" Jounouchi said, standing up.

Everyone nodded and left to find the new student.

* * *

"AHH! Tema! You're so cool!"

"Tema! Look this way!"

"Temaaaaaa!"

Yugi, Jounouchi, Cat, Atem, Kay, Honda and Anzu all stood behind a large crowd of girls. The seven friends looked dumbfounded.

"So, uh...I'm guessin' hes in the middle of that huge crowd of crazy girls?" Honda asked.

"Most likely." Kay said, her eyelids lowering in unamusement. "Ugh. Tell them to stop squealing already."

The seven then noticed a guy squeeze through the crowd of teenage girls before running down a hallway.

"Hey! That was him!" Honda exclaimed.

"Should we follow him?" Anzu asked.

"I'd really like to meet him. So why don't we catch up to him before he's surrounded by another crowd of girls." Yugi said.

"Good idea, Yug." Jounouchi agreed.

* * *

The boy, Tema, sat outside under a tree, panting.

"Oh hey! There he is!"

Tema looked up quickly, surprised.

Yugi, Jounouchi, Cat, Atem, Kay, Honda and Anzu walked up to the new student.

"Hey man! Don't look so distressed! We're not here to mob you like the other girls." Jounouchi said, smiling.

The boy sighed in relief.

"I'm glad. I didn't want to be rude or anything, but after all those girls came up to me, I needed some space." He said.

Cat blinked in surprise.

This new student...there was something odd about him. He was from Egypt, so of course he had something of an accent. But...it almost seemed as if it was from a different time.

Another thing Cat noticed was his strange appearance.

He was tan, like any other Egypt citizen, but his hair was completely white. It reminded her of Bakura's hair color.

His hair was split down the middle, causing his short bangs to be split in the middle slightly. But it was obvious that he let his hair grow out down the sides of his face. The long part of his hair ended at the middle of his neck. But the rest of his hair was short.

Another thing that stuck out to Cat was his eyes. They were Egyptian-like and sharp like Atem's. Only they were golden color.

The boy looked thin, yet strong and he was about Jounouchi's height. Making him taller than Cat.

Over all, he was a fairly handsome guy. Cat could understand why he had suddenly became very popular with the girls of the school. Plus he looked and seemed like a very kind person.

Cat glanced up at Atem. He seemed a little surprised at the boy's appearance too.

All of the sudden, the slightest frown appeared on Atem's face. But it only lasted for a short moment. Cat blinked, confused.

Why did he frown like that?

"By the way! I'm Jounouchi! And these are my other friends! Honda, Yugi, Anzu, Kay, Cat and Atem." Jounouchi said, listing and pointing out each of his other friends.

Tema looked and smiled at everyone. He paused to stare at Kay a little longer than the rest and moved on. Once he got to Cat, his smile grew a little smaller and almost completely disappeared when he looked at her cartouche. But not a second later, he looked back up at Cat and smiled again, staring at her a little longer, like he did Kay.  
When he looked at Atem, again, his smile almost completely disappeared. He stared at Atem for a while before bringing his smile back again.

"Its very nice to meet you all." He said with a casual smile. "My name is Tema."

"It's nice to meet you, Tema." Yugi said politely.

Cat glanced at her other friends. Did they not notice Tema's recent strange behavior when he looked at Kay, Atem and herself? Cat looked back at Atem and realized that he was frowning slightly again. What was going on?

"Hey Tema! I have to know! We heard that you're a CEO of a company that moved from Egypt. Is it true?" Anzu asked.

Tema chuckled.

"Yes, it is. I'm surprised at how fast it moved around." He answered, smiling.

"That's amazing!" Honda exclaimed.

"Yeah! That is!" Jounouchi agreed.

"We already know a CEO. He's a friend of ours. You probably know him. His name is Seto Kaiba." Yugi said.

"Ah, he's the owner and president of Kaiba Corp., right? Yes, I know who he is. His company is a lot bigger than mine. But since we work in different categories, there's no competition. Which I am glad for." Tema said.

"Wow, I guess that goes to show you. There are probably more teenagers like Kaiba than we thought." Anzu said, her hands behind her back.

"Yeah, except this guy is a lot nicer than Kaiba! I don't care if Kaiba's considered a friend or not! He's still a stubborn jerk who has an ego bigger than Domino City itself!" Jounouchi ranted.

Kay pinched Jounouchi's cheek and tugged on it, looking annoyed.

"Stop your whining. Seto has gotten a lot better and you know it." She said.

"OW! Knock it off Kay!" Jounouchi yelled.

Tema laughed.

"You are all such humorous people. I hope that we can be friends." He said.

"Of course!" Yugi agreed.

"Yeah! And maybe sometime soon you can show us around your company! I'm really interested." Anzu suggested.

Tema smiled again.

"Of course. This Sunday, I would be happy to show you all around." He said. "If that's alright with you guys."

"Oh yeah! We'd all love to go! Right guys?" Honda said.

Everyone nodded. Even though Cat was hesitant, she continued on as normal.

"Then its settled. You are all invited to my company on Sunday." Tema said.

Everyone smiled and talked excitedly to each other, except Cat, who only smiled.

Deep down...she felt like something seemed wrong.

* * *

"You've noticed it too, haven't you?"

Cat gasped and almost dropped the dish she was washing.

It was evening now and Cat, Atem, Yugi and Solomon (Yugi's Grandpa) had just finished dinner. It was Cat's turn to wash the dishes and Atem stayed to help.

But Cat was so lost in her thoughts, when Atem spoke to her, it surprised her.

"I-I'm sorry...what did you say?" Cat asked.

"I said, You've noticed it too, haven't you?" Atem repeated.

"Noticed what?" Cat asked.

"Tema." Atem muttered, cleaning one of the plates.

Cat immediately knew what this was about. She was going to ask him about his reactions to Tema earlier, but it had slipped her mind.

"Well...I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about. But I have noticed a few things." Cat replied, looking at the dish she was holding.

"Yes. When Tema examined all of us, he seemed to have stared at you, me and Kay the longest. And if Kaiba was here, he probably would have examined him longer as well." Atem said.

"Why do you think that?" Cat asked.

"Maybe it just happened to turn out that way but..." Atem looked at Cat. "The ones he stared at the longest were the people who have the strongest connection to the ancient past."

Cat blinked at him, surprised at this new bit of information.

Atem was right...Tema seemed interested in the people who had a strong connection to Atem's past.

"That's true." Cat agreed. "I also noticed that when he looked at us, his smiled kind of faded."

Atem nodded.

"Exactly. But thats not the only thing." He continued. "When I first saw him...I feel like...I've seen him before. A very long time ago."

"A-Are you saying that he might be connected to your past?" Cat asked, surprised.

"Its a possibility." Atem muttered. "But if its true...I can't help but wonder what kind of connection he had. Because, when I saw him, that feeling of recognition felt...bad. Like I wasn't happy to see him."

"That's strange." Cat mused out loud.

"It is." Atem agreed before chuckling a little. "But then again, for all I know, this may be all in my imagination."

Cat smiled a little.

"Maybe. I guess we'll have to see what happens." She said.

Atem nodded before the two returned to their task.

* * *

"You know, Tema kind of reminds me of the time we first met Otogi." Jounouchi said.

Everyone was on their way to Tema's company building. It was just the eight of them. Yugi, Cat, Atem, Jounouchi, Honda, Kay and Anzu.

Kay had tried to convince Kaiba to come with them, but Kaiba had too much work to do. Plus...he wasn't interested in going anyways.

Mokuba had some of his own things to do as well.

"You're right. Except Otogi was kind of a jerk when we first met him as well. But he was very popular with the other girls and he was a game store owner." Honda added in.

Yeah, but everything's fine now and he's our friend." Yugi said with a smile.

"I wonder how he's doing anyways? Its been a while since we've talked. I'll have to call him sometime." Jounouchi said.

"We'll all have to." Anzu said.

After a while, everyone had reached the building.

"Whoa! This place is HUGE!" Honda said, amazed as he looked up at the tall building.

"It is." Kay agreed. "I didn't expect it to be this big.

"Let's head inside guys. It'll probably look a lot better on the inside." Cat said.

They all nodded and headed up the long set of steps.

When they walked into the entrance, Tema was there to meet them.

"Ah! You're here! I'm glad to see that you all could make it!" Tema said with a smile.

"Nice to be here! Nice place ya got! It's pretty fancy!" Jounouchi said, examining the room around them.

"Yes, we like to give off a nice impression." Tema said, glancing around the room himself before looking at his new friends. "Please, follow me. I'll give you all the grand tour."

Everyone nodded and followed him.

Tema spent most of the time showing them some of their research materials and labs. Everyone couldn't help but notice the unique work uniforms of the employees.

Most of them were tan, even though a fair amout had pale skin. The scientists wore normal lab uniforms, but the other employee's uniforms seemed to be all the same.

The men wore a white button-up shirt with a black tie and black pants with black shoes. The women wore black heels with a black work skirt and a white blouse. Even though this was considered normal work wear, the thing that stuck out the most was the fact that all the men wore turbans. Even the men who were obviously not from Egypt.

Tema pointed out that all the men wore turbans because it made them feel comfortable. Most of the employees were from Egypt and they used to wear turbans on their heads all the time to protect their heads from the desert sun.

And since most of the men wore turbans, he made it a part of the work uniform. That way it didn't look too weird.

"He says its to make things not look too weird, but it really is weird." Jounouchi whispered to Honda, who nodded in agreement.

There was a total of 37 floors. But Tema stopped at 36 after showing them around the area.

"And so, here is where I end my tour. But you are free to wonder around the whole building, except the private areas. But also please try not to disturb or distract my employees. Also, try not to touch any of our research material." Tema said.

Everyone agreed to the terms and started to explore the building.

Cat glanced at a nearby door. There was a sign on the door that said, "37th floor". If she remembered correctly, the buttons on the elevator they used only went up to the 36th floor.

Why wasn't the 37th floor available in the elevator?

Curious now, Cat walked over to the door, while everyone else was distracted, and walked through it, quietly shutting the door behind her.

She climbed the set of stairs, which led her to the entrance of the 37th floor.  
Silently, she opened the door and peeked in.

The room was completely dark. She couldn't see a thing!

Walking in and shutting the door behind her quietly, she felt around the wall for a light.

She finally found the light switch and flipped on the lights. When she turned around, the first reaction she had was a loud gasp.

The room was very large and had no windows. But the biggest surprise of them all...was the fact that it was FULL of Ancient Egyptian artifacts and large stone tablets.

Cat took a few more steps into the room, studying the pictures on the stone tablets. Another gasp left her lips.

The scenes and carvings on the stone tablets were...so familiar! No! She knew some of the scenes in the tablets! In fact...she was there.

Some of the tablets had carvings of pictures that told about the battle with Zorc and the final battle between the Pharaoh and Zorc.

Others had pictures of the royal court and the six priests of the Millennium Items.

In fact, on all the tablets Cat could see, she could recognize all the people and scenes carved on them!

She saw pictures that told about Atem and Luna's relationship. The same with Seth and Khephera's. Also other stories such as Luna's past, Khephera and Seth's work as priests and Atem's role as Pharaoh. Plus the history and roles of so many other people she knew in the past!

Tema...why did he only have tablets that told the story of Atem's past?  
Was Atem right? Does Tema really have a connection to the ancient past?

Cat was about to take a few more steps into the room, until a hand suddenly clasped her should and spun her around. Cat would have screamed if a hand hadn't covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry if I scared you, Ms. Tsuru. But I'm afraid this room is very private. I hope you understand." Tema said with a seemingly kind smile.

Cat stared at Tema in shock, even after Tema had released her.

She was almost completely positive. Tema had to have some kind of connection to the ancient past!

Who was he?!

* * *

**MAKE SURE TO READ ME PLEASE! :D**

**Now, I'm sure most people have noticed that I changed a few names. Like I changed Atemu to Atem. And Joey to Jounouchi. And Duke to Otogi.**

**The only reason why I kept Jounouchi and Otogi's dub/English names is because I had a hard time (earlier) figuring out how to spell them. Plus getting used to typing them was hard too. But after a while I got it down. So I decided to use their real names instead. :D And Atemu was changed to Atem because I learned that Atem is the correct way of spelling his real name. :D  
**

**I was thinking about doing it earlier, but the story was so far, I wasn't sure if I should. But I did anyways. Especially since this is the last arc. And do know that this arc is probably going to be short. I still haven't figured everything that's going to happen yet. So yeah. :D**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!  
**


	100. Ancient Darkness

"I'm almost sure of it now!" Cat cried. "He has to have some sort of connection to the past!"

Everyone stared at Cat.

It was after they had left Tema's company. They had all went out to lunch together.

Cat had explained the suspicions that Atem and her were having and what she had saw on the 37th floor. Plus what had happened when Tema had caught her up there.

"Are you serious? You really think he's connected to the past?" Anzu asked.

"I'm pretty sure about it." Cat said.

"Are you really sure, Cat? The fact that he stared at you, me and Atem for a while could just be because we have a striking resemblance to the carvings on the tablets." Kay said.

"Well..." Cat muttered, a loss for words.

"I'm not sure if that's the case, Kay." Atem said, jumping in. "When I first saw Tema, I was almost surprised. He seemed very familiar to me. As if I had seen him years and years ago. And to add onto that, there was the fact that _when_ I saw him, I had a feeling like I didn't want to see him. That I disliked his presence."

"Are you saying that he may have been in your past as Pharaoh?" Yugi asked.

"It's possible." Atem answered.

"Aw, MAN! I really hope he's not connected to the past! I thought we had put all that behind us after the Millennium Items were sealed away forever!" Jounouchi cried, rubbing his head in frustration.

"I'd never thought I'd say this, but Jounouchi's right." Honda said. "It seems odd that we're running into someone who may possibly be connected to the Pharaoh's past. Like Jounouchi, I thought we'd never encounter someone like this again."

"Yeah. I figured the same thing." Yugi agreed.

"That is strange." Anzu said before sighing. "Ugh, I REALLY hope that doesn't mean we'll have to start saving the world all over again! Things had just gotten peaceful and we're all able to hang out just as friends!"

Kay crossed her arms over her chest.  
"Well. Even though we're not one hundred percent sure...it couldn't hurt to try and learn more about this guy. To see if he really IS connected to the past." She suggested.

"Yeah, but how would we do that?" Yugi asked.

"What if we checked out his records at school?" Honda suggested.

"No...that would be too hard to get. Plus it probably wouldn't hold any useful information for us." Kay pointed out.

Everyone thought for a moment.

"What if...one of us went undercover at his office and looked for clues?" Cat suggested.

"No." Atem said. "That's way too risky. We don't know what kind of things could happen if we got caught."

"Atem's right. That would be a great idea if it wasn't too risky." Kay agreed.

"It shouldn't be that hard." Cat pressed on. "Just as long as we stay low."

"No, Cat. We shouldn't risk that." Atem said with a stern look in his eyes.

"But...what other choice do we have?" Cat asked.

Everyone thought some more.

"She has a point. But Atem has a point too. It's too risky." Yugi said.

"If we think about this some more and have a good plan, it could be possible. But for now, we'd better just not get our hopes up with that idea." Kay said.

Cat frowned a little. A look of determination crossing over her face.

* * *

Cat walked through the school yard, towards the front doors. She was alone.

Because she wanted time to think on her own, Cat had left for school earlier than the rest of her friends.

Other Domino High students chatted around her as she continued her way, staring at the ground.

The mysterious air around Tema was really bugging her. She wanted to know more.

"Heeyy! Cat!"

Cat stopped. Before she had time to turn around, she was head locked.

"ACK!"

Tema grinned at her, playful-like.

"Sorry for the surprise. I tend to do that a lot with you, huh?" He asked.

Cat held her breath for a moment before replying.

"Y-Yeah...I get scared easily." She said weakly trying to put on a kind face.

Tema released her and stood in front of her.  
"Hey, I had a question about yesterday." He said.

Cat tilted her head slightly.

"Um...when you went up to the 37th floor...did you see what was on those tablets?" He asked, almost innocently.

"Yes...I did." Cat replied.

Darn. She could have kicked herself for saying that. It probably would have been better if she had just told him that she didn't.

For a moment, Tema's face turned serious. But quickly returned to a smile.

"Oh! I see." He laughed. "Could you keep all that a secret? There was a reason why that floor was private. But you probably didn't know that huh? I'm sorry, I should have mentioned it."

"I understand." Cat said slowly.

"Hey, hey! I have one more question for you!" He said almost like an excited little kid. Tema really did have a strange personality.

"Uh, what is it?"

"Do you think that maybe you could meet me at lunch? I need to talk to you alone! Okay? And before you get worried, it's not really about yesterday."

Cat felt uncertain. Should she really accept his request? Even though Cat felt very sure that he was connected to Atem's past, there was still no hard proof.

For all she knew, he could have really just wanted to talk.

Giving him the benefit of the doubt couldn't hurt.

"Sure." Cat said, smiling weakly.

"Alright! Thanks! Meet me behind the gym! Also, I don't want you telling any of your friends about this meeting and the talk we just had, okay? Its a secret! I'll see you there!"

Tema quickly kissed Cat's cheek and ran off.

Cat froze, her eyes huge. She blushed.

"_Wh-what the HECK!?_" She thought to herself.

She just stood there, frozen. Not really sure how much time had passed.

"Cat! Hey! CAT!"

Kay flicked Cat's forehead, hard.

"OW!" Cat cried, putting a hand on her forehead. "KAY! What was that for?"

"You were completely spaced out and frozen. Geez! Don't sit there and act like a statue!" Kay replied.

"I didn't mean too!" Cat said.

"Hey Cat? Is everything okay? You were acting a little strange." Yugi said, walking up to her.

"Huh? Oh, I was..." She didn't finish.

"Yeah. I know you space out like no other, but that was strange. Even for you." Jounouchi added in, standing beside Yugi. "Plus you're kind of blushing."

"Wha?" Cat asked.

Atem walked up to Cat and put a hand on her cheek.

"Did something happen?" He asked.

Cat felt her face heat up more.

"N-N-No!" She cried.

"That's not very convincing Cat." Kay muttered.

"Um, there's one more thing I'd like to add. Why are all the girls around us glaring at you Cat?" Honda pointed out.

All the friends looked around and sure enough.

"Wow. They're all glaring at you as if you had just talked to Tema or something." Anzu said.

Cat tensed up. When Cat did this, Atem quickly looked back at Cat. He must have felt her tense up because he was still touching her.

His eyes were now full of suspicion and he was going to want a complete explanation. Cat knew she had to think up an excuse quick.

Tema had warned her not to tell her friends and even though it nearly killed her to lie to her friends and even Atem, she had to. She didn't want to know the consequences of disobeying Tema's warning.

Atem then took her face in both of his hands, looking her right in the eyes.

"Cat. Tell me what happened." He said in a low voice.

Cat's breath got caught in her throat.

"N...Nothing...nothing happened. Why don't you believe me?" She said in an almost sad voice.

Atem stared at her for a moment more before sighing and releasing her.

"Alright. If you say so." He said softly before wrapping an arm around her and continuing on to the school.

Their friends followed and began to chat among each other.

Cat felt sick to her stomach.

* * *

"ALL RIGHT! LUNCH! The BEST time of the day!" Jounouchi cried happily as him and his friends walked to their usual spot.

"You are correct my friend!" Honda said with a large grin, high-fiving Jounouchi.

"Ugh, must you two always act like this everyday when it's lunch time?" Anzu asked.

"Why not? As I said; lunch is the best time of the day!" Jounouchi said almost proudly.

Anzu just shook her head.

"Hey guys. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed but...don't you all think Cat's been acting weird today?" Kay asked.

"I've noticed." Atem muttered.

"Well, I'm not surprised you have. But I actually kind of noticed too." Jounouchi said.

Yugi, Honda and Anzu nodded in agreement.

"I was almost tempted to follow her when she said she had something she had to do before she could join us." Anzu said.

"I have a feeling we probably should have." Atem said.

"Well, I don't mind her going off to complete a task or whatever. The thing that bugs me is the fact that she didn't tell us what she was going to do!" Kay said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's true." Yugi sighed.

"Well, whatever's going on, I hope she'll tell us." Atem said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

"There you are!"

Cat walked up to Tema, who was standing behind the gym, just like he said.

"I'm here. Sorry if you waited long." She said.

"No, not at all." Tema said with a smile.

"So then...what did you want to talk about?" Cat asked.

Tema only smiled for a moment until he suddenly pushed Cat against the wall, a dark look entering his face.

"Ow! Tema?!"

Tema shook his head and tsked.

"Oh, Luna. You're always getting yourself into trouble for the Pharaoh's sake, aren't you?" He said, his voice dark.

Cat's eyes widened in shock.

Luna...?

Cat struggled against him.

"I'm not Luna!" She cried. "You've got the wrong girl!"

Tema picked up her cartouche and pulled on it with his finger.

"Oh? This silly little pendent says otherwise." He said.

Cat tried to look brave.  
"The cartouche belonged to Luna, but I'm not Luna!"

"Hmph. Of course you aren't. But, you are Luna's decedent, correct?" Tema asked.

Cat didn't say anything.

Tema smirked. "That's what I thought." He said smugly. "You are very much like Luna. And you even look almost exactly like her too."

Cat frowned a little.

"Are you just going to go on about my ancestors or was there something you seriously wanted to talk about?"

"Hm. You can actually cover up your meekness if you try. How nice." Tema said. "Now listen. I'll tell you who I am if you stop trying to research me. You may end up finding something you shouldn't."

Cat again, didn't say anything.

"I'm sure your "lover" the Pharaoh had mentioned how he was familiar with me. That is true. Three thousand years ago...I worked with Bakura."  
Tema explained.

A gasp escaped from Cat.

"In fact, I was Bakura's right-hand man. His favorite. I always worked together with him...that is until he started challenging the Pharaoh himself. When he started to try and get revenge on the Pharaoh, he didn't want me or any of the other men to interfere. So we worked behind the scenes. Occasionally making plans with Bakura." Tema continued. "Its a shame that Luna was always protected in the palace. Bakura had his eye on her. She would have made perfect bait. And if we had only gotten our hands on her, we would have probably succeeded in defeating the Pharaoh."

"Well then explain to me this. If you lived three thousand years ago, then how are you alive today?" Cat asked.

"Once Bakura was sealed away, the rest of us had to think up a plan on how to get revenge on the Pharaoh since he was to re-awaken sometime in the future. And since I was Bakura's favorite, they sealed me away. I slept in a hidden tomb for three thousand years...and I was only to wake up again when the Pharaoh was awakened once again."

"But...your body..."

"This is the same body I had when I was sealed away three thousand years ago. I haven't aged a bit. Another way to think of it all is that I was just sleeping...and my body was frozen in time."

"..."

"When I was awakened again, I knew that Bakura was re-awakened as well. So I let him try and get his revenge on the Pharaoh again. But somewhere inside of me, I knew he was destined to fail and be destroyed once and for all. And I was right. So while Bakura tried to kill the Pharaoh, I worked on other things. Such as my company."

"But if you were frozen in time, how did you have the knowledge to even start a company?"

"That was a part of the whole, "Me being frozen in time" deal. When I awoke, I had gained all the knowledge in the past, up to the present day. We obviously thought ahead." Tema replied smugly.

Cat stared at Tema.

"So then...in conclusion...you're here to finish what Bakura couldn't." She said.

"That is correct." Tema answered. "If the Pharaoh was gone from this world, then I would have too."

Cat frowned at him.

"You realize you won't win. Especially since you just told me everything." She said.

Tema smirked.

"Don't get so confident, little girl." He warned. "You are not to tell anyone what you heard today. You are not to tell anyone about this meeting. And you are not allowed to tell them who I am."

"What makes you think I won't?" Cat asked.

Tema's face grew even darker.

"Because if you do...All your little friends...will die. I will kill each and every one of them. Especially your precious Pharaoh." He explained. "Don't forget...three thousand years ago, I was the right-hand man of the King of Thieves. Assassination was only one of my many talents."

A look of fear came over Cat's face.

"You...y-you won't dare." She said quietly.

Tema smirked.

"Try me." He said before backing away from Cat.

"And just so you know. From now on, you'd better watch yourself as well. You're one of my targets." He said before turning and walking away.

Once Tema was out of sight, Cat's legs gave out and she fell to her knees, her breath shaking.

He...was a frightening man...and he was so good at hiding who he was.

"What...wh-what should I-I do...?" She whimpered to herself, tears growing in her eyes.

If she told anyone about all this, then Tema would kill her friends and Atem. If she didn't, Atem would die anyways. Not only that, but Tema was after her too!

Shaking, she slowly stood up and slowly made her way to the nurses office. The sick feeling in her stomach had returned and she felt cold sweat on her forehead. She couldn't face her friends. Not now. Not for a while.

She was going to go home for the day. She needed to regain her composure and think more clearly.

Something had to be done!

* * *

**And heeeeeerrrrreeesss chapter 100! Whoo! The crowd has my permission to go wild! Lol Just kidding.**

**But it is the 100th chapter. Yay me. (I guess. O_O lol)**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter too! :D**

**See ya next chappie!  
**


	101. Determination

"Grandpa! Cat's missing! Have you seen her?!"

Solomon looked at Yugi and Atem.  
He was doing his usual task of sweeping in front of the Game Shop.

"Ho, ho, welcome home you two. And don't look so worried. Cat came home early. She said she wasn't feeling well and she hasn't left her room since." He said.

"What? She's sick?" Atem asked.

"Yes. When she came home she certianly looked like it. She had convinced the nurse to let her walk home by herself. I don't think that was such a good idea. I've never seen Cat look like that before." Solomon said, his brow furrowing in worry. "I have a feeling that there's something more behind all this then her just feeling sick. But I could be wrong. Anyways, you can try and see her, but she locked herself up in her room. You probably won't be able to get in."

"But you have the key, Grandpa. Why didn't you just go in? Cat might really need help!" Yugi asked.

"Cat asked me to let her be alone for a while and if she needed anything she would let me know. I'm just respecting her privacy." Solomon answered.

Atem sighed, placing his hand against his face, shutting his eyes. "She's been acting weird since this morning. Something's wrong..." He muttered before removing his hand and opening his eyes. "I'm going to go see her."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Yugi asked.

"Cat's hiding something from us, I know it. And I have a big feeling that it has something to do with Tema." Atem said, his eyes flashing anger when he said Tema's name.

Yugi was about to say something else, but Atem turned and quickly went inside.

"Should we stop him?" Yugi asked.

Solomon shook his head.

"I'm honestly worried about Cat too. And if she needs someone, Atem's probably the best choice. We'll just have to wait and see what happens." He replied before he continued to sweep in front of the shop.

Yugi sighed and looked up at the shop.

* * *

"_I'll kill all your friends...I'll kill your precious Pharaoh..._"

Cat sobbed as she held her pillow over her head.

Either way, someone was going to die. There seems to be no way out.

"What am I gonna do...?" Cat whimpered to herself over and over as more tears continued to soak her face and bed.

When she had got home, she had went into her room and locked the door behind her. She then changed into her pajamas and went straight to bed.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of a way out of this. She was still too upset.

Suddenly, a knock at her door startled her.

"Cat? Can I come in? We need to talk."

Cat quickly sat up and looked at the door, her face and neck wet with tears.

"N-No! I'm fine...please...I just need to be alone." She cried.

"You're not fine! Cat! You need to talk to me!" Atem said loudly through the door.

"No! There's nothing to talk about!"

"Cat!"

"Just leave me alone for a while! Please!"

Without another word, Atem quickly unlocked the door and opened it.

"You've been alone for hours! I'm not going to let you be alone anymore!" Atem almost yelled and shut the door behind him, locking it. "Everyone has been worried sick about you and you're not telling us anything! What are you hiding?!"

"N-Nothing!" Cat cried.

Atem gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, but only for a moment. He sighed and calmed down.

"It...must be pretty bad. For you to lie to me." He said in a calmer voice.

Cat gasped silently and Atem walked up to her bed, sitting next to her.

"It's not that you want to be alone...it's just that you don't know what to say to us." He continued and took Cat into his arms. "You're not sick either...you're afraid...that or something is upsetting you. Not many people cry as much as you have when they're just not feeling well."

Cat remained silent.

"Cat. This is obviously something you're having trouble with standing on your own. And I want to be here to protect you in times when you can't stand on your own."

"Atem...would you...give me more time if I said I wasn't ready to talk about it yet...?"

"Of course."

Cat held onto Atem tightly and felt a few new tears roll down her face. She felt horrible inside for lying to him. And she never wanted to do it again.

But she still couldn't tell him what was wrong. Even so, she wanted to protect this man...the man who loved her and whom she loved back.

Atem was always protecting her...even long ago, when he was still trapped within the Millennium Puzzle.

So now...Cat felt it was her turn to protect him.

She was the only one who knew about who Tema really is and what he's planning.

Being with Atem calmed her down. She was able to think more clearly again. And she took this chance to try and find a way that she could prevent Tema from killing anyone.

She thought long and hard for a moment...until...that's it! She remembered the plan she came up with yesterday. And it was the best plan she had. She was going to have to go through with it. No matter how risky it was.

And it had to be soon. She didn't know when Tema was going to try and go after Atem.

So the plan was set. Tomorrow she was going to skip school and go undercover at Tema's company. She had to try and find something to stop Tema...before it was too late.

She sighed, finally able to calm down.

"_Everything's going to be fine...I hope...it should be...yes...everything...will...be...fine..._" Cat thought to herself before she fell asleep in Atem's arms.

* * *

The employees of Kaiba Corp. were doing their daily work as Kaiba passed them, Kay not too far behind him.

"Tema's still new. So I really don't know much about him." Kaiba said to Kay as he looked through some papers. "I probably know as much as you do."

"Well...do you think you could do a background check on him sometime?" Kay asked. "There's something really strange about that guy!"

Kaiba sighed as they walked into his main office. He set the papers on his desk and turned to face Kay.

"Fine. When I have the chance, I'll do a background check on Tema. But, just so you know, if this guy has something to hide, we probably won't get that information in the background check." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kay smiled a little in relief.

"Thank you Seto."

Before Kaiba could reply, Kay's cell phone suddenly went off. Kay pulled it out and answer it.

"Hello?"

While Kay was on the phone, Kaiba turned back to his desk for a moment.

"Oh! Hi Yugi! Did you find Cat? You did? Okay, that's good. I wa-...what? She came home sick? Huh...she was perfectly fine when we saw her at lunch today. Yeah...yeah, ok. Alright. Thanks for letting me know, Yugi. Yeah. Okay. Bye."

Kay hung up her cell phone.

"Did your friend go missing?" Kaiba asked, not turning away from his desk.

"Yeah. Cat ran off at lunch to do some sort of task and that was the last time we saw her. I guess she headed home, feeling sick and stayed there the rest of the day. But it's really strange. Cat was perfectly healthy when she left us at lunch." Kay explained. She crossed her arms in thought for a moment. "You see...this is one of the reasons why I want you to check out Tema's background. She started acting strange after he came along. And apparently Tema and Cat have had a few encounters before."

"Is that so?" Kaiba muttered, still facing his desk.

"Plus...Tema may have a connection to the Pharaoh's past." Kay added in.

Kaiba turned to look at her.

"What? Another one of _those_?" He asked. Kay nodded.

"Yes. We're all speechless at the possibility too." She said.

"I thought all that was done and over with!" Kaiba exclaimed.

"We thought so too." Kay muttered.

Kaiba stared at her a moment longer and sighed.

"If that's the case...I want you to stay away from Tema." He said sternly.

"What? Why?" Kay asked, frowning slightly.

"C'mon Kay. You're smart enough to figure it out." Kaiba said, putting a hand on his hip.

Kay frowned a little more, her eyelids lowered and arms still crossed.

"That doesn't mean I"m a mind reader, Seto." She grumbled.

Kaiba sighed again.

"Look. If this guy is really someone from three thousand years ago, then who knows what he's up to. Second, if he really is the one behind Cat's strange behavior, then he's probably not up to any good. Like those others we've had to face. Such as Marik and Bakura." He explained.

Kay blinked, raising her eyebrows. Her frown was gone.

"Oh...so you're worried about me." She said casually.

Kaiba frowned a little, looking embarrassed.

"Don't act all casual about it." He mummered, blushing very lightly.

Kay grinned.

"Okay. I got it, I got it. I'll be careful. But that goes the same for you." She said.

"Hmph. Who says I can't take care of myself? You on the other hand..."

"Hey. I wouldn't suggest finishing that sentence, Seto."

Kaiba smirked. "Whatever you say. Besides. I do get tired of protecting you all the time." He joked.

Kay frowned.

"What did you say?! You don't protect me ALL the time! Get your facts straight!" She snapped, pointing at him.

"Now, now, I know the truth hurts, but its nothing to get angry about." Kaiba said with a smirk. "You're always getting yourself into trouble, forcing me to save you. It's quite troublesome."

"HEY! Since when?!" She yelled.

"All the time." He answered simply.

"Liar."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Prove it."

Kay glared at him.

"FINE!" She huffed, turning around. "You can go ahead and be that way! I'm going home for the day!"

She began to stomp towards the door, until Kaiba caught her arm, pulled her against him.

"Hn, You know me better than that." He smirked again. "I'm always messing with you."

Kay looked up at him. Not amused.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She mumbled.

Kaiba grinned and without another word, took Kay's chin in his hand and kissed her softly on the lips.

* * *

Atem looked down at Cat.

"_She's asleep..._"

He sighed. The whole time he was holding Cat, he was thinking about what could have possibly caused Cat to act this way.

Carefully, he laid Cat back onto her bed and pulled the sheets over her. He stared at her face.

He knew that she was strong. But...by the way Cat was acting, she may not have been strong enough to handle the situation she was in.

Either way, Atem knew she was simply trying to do her best to be strong.

That was one of the things that pulled him to Cat. Even in times when she knew she wasn't strong enough, she still tried her best for everyone.

Atem moved over the lay next to her as he continued to watch her sleep.

He realized that because of that trait of her's, he felt obligated to protect her always. He felt that way even before he had fallen in love with her.

Atem smiled at Cat peacefully.

* * *

5:00am...

Cat stared at the clock next to her.

It was still dark...

Silently, she sat up.

"_I can't believe I slept that long...I even missed dinner._" She thought to herself and looked around. "_Oh well...I suppose I'd better get ready if I want this plan to work._"

Cat slowly started to get out of her bed until a sudden movement next to her made her stop. She looked over to where the movement came from and gasped silently.

"_A-Atem? He stayed here the whole night?_" She thought to herself. "_Well...its a good thing he's still asleep though._"

Quickly and quietly, she got out of her bed and silently got ready. Instead of dressing in her usual school uniform, she dressed in the men's work uniform for Tema's company.

Black pants, black shoes, white shirt, black tie and a turban.

She stared at herself in the mirror.

"If I dress like this, it should be easier for Tema to not recognize me." She whispered to herself, hiding her hair in the turban. Once she was finished, she walked back into her room and grabbed a black bag and filled it with things she needed.

Putting the bag over her shoulder, she looked back at Atem who was still sleeping. She walked over to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I love you..." She whispered before quickly leaving the room.

* * *

Once Cat got outside and a good distance away from the Game Shop, she pulled out her cell phone and called Kay.

Kay, was still asleep, but the ringing of her cell phone woke her up.

Tiredly, she sat up and picked up her cell phone.

"Who the heck has to call me this early in the morning...?" She grumbled to herself before answering the phone. "Hello?"

"_Kay?_"

"Wha...? Cat? Why are you up so early?" Kay asked, rubbing her eyes.

"_Listen carefully. I need you to make a few promises with me._"

"Uh...okay?"

"_I'm not coming to school today. I'm going to go check out Tema's company._"

"Wh-WHAT?! Cat! You're not supposed to do that! You could get into a lot of trouble! Not to mention possible danger!"

"_I...I know. But I'm already on my way over to the company._"

"CAT! Get your butt back over to the Game Shop! We already know that your weird behavior yesterday was probably all Tema's fault. There's no need to put yourself through that again!"

"_I'm fine. I'll be sure to tell you all about it when I'm done. But please Kay...you can't tell ANYONE what I'm doing. Especially Atem._"

"Oh, Atem's GONNA find out if you don't get back over there!"

"_Kay...please. If what I'm going to do ends up being successful, then I can tell you and everyone else why I was acting so strange._"

"That's not a very tempting deal, Cat."

"_I'm sorry! But please. Just don't tell anyone. I'll be fine. I have everything planned out._"

"Cat. What you're doing is really stupid. Just get back over to the Game Shop."

"_Sorry Kay...but please don't tell anyone. I'll see you when I get back. Bye._"

"CA-"

Cat had already hung up. Kay stared at the wall, not removing her cell phone.

"Ugh...stupid, stupid, stupid." Kay mummered and hung her phone up. "Looks like I'm skipping school too."

Kay set her cell phone aside and got out of bed, heading over to Kaiba's room.

* * *

**Okay, so I originally had planned this chapter to be longer, but I decided to end it here. I think what happens next COULD fill a whole chapter. (Maybe...O.O lol)**

**Anyways, yeaaaahhh, this chapter was a "little" cheesy...but bare with me here.**

**Well! I hope you enjoyed it! See you next chappie! :D  
**


	102. Forbidden Capture

At this moment in time, Tema's company building looked bigger than it did when Cat first saw it.

She stared up at it and sighed.

"No turning back now." Cat said to herself.

After staring at the building a moment longer, Cat took a deep breath and climbed the long stairway to the main doors and went inside.

* * *

"Seto! Are you awake?!"

Kay knocked on his door, almost violently.

After a minute or two, Kaiba finally opened the door and looked at Kay.

"What is it?" He mumbled.

Kay blinked.

"You were actually SLEEPING tonight?" She asked.

Kaiba frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? I don't always do all-nighters and you know that."

"Yeah, sure. Anyways! We need to get moving! Now!"

"Why?"

"Because! Cat just called me and she's going through with her stupid plan of going to Tema's company and sneaking around while being "undercover"."

"Why don't you let her boyfriend take care of that?" Kaiba yawned.

"She asked me not to tell Atem...which I may or may not have to do. But I kinda just want to keep this on a low status." Kay explained. "Anyways, will you please help me? We need to pull Cat back before she get's caught."

Kaiba yawned again.

"Fine, whatever. But I'm not going to help you rescue your friends from doing stupid things all the time."

"Alright! Thanks Seto. I'm gonna go get ready."

Kay quickly dashed to her room.

* * *

Cat leaned against the elevator wall. She stared at the floor.

"_That's so strange...I thought there would be a bunch of employees running around like last time. But I haven't seen anyone yet!_"

The elevator stopped at the 36th's floor and opened the doors. Cat stepped out and looked around as the doors shut behind her.

"No one...no one's here. Does the company have the day off or something?" She whispered to herself. "Well...since no one seems to be here, it only makes my job easier. There HAS to be something I can find here that'll help me stop Tema."

Cat began her search, looking around and through papers.

Unfortunately for her...she failed to notice a pair of footsteps coming down from the 37th floor...

* * *

"Kay! HEY! Why are you in such a rush?" Mokuba asked, trying to keep up with Kay in the hallway. "I know you're late for school and all, but..."

"I'm sorry Mokey." Kay said. "I'm not going to school today. I have to pull Cat out of the hole she stupidly threw herself in."

"Cat's stuck in a hole?"

"Ha, ha, no not literally Mokey." Kay laughed before turning back to seriousness. "Cat is trying to play "Secret Agent" and snuck into Tema's company building. And we all know there's something strange going on with Tema. He might be dangerous."

"Really? He seemed like a nice guy when Seto met him."

"Well...when we all met him at school, I thought the same thing. But for all we know, he could be faking it. Cat's not telling us something important and we all believe Tema's the reason behind it."

"Oh...I see."

"Yes. So me and Seto are going to go get her from Tema's company. Which reminds me..." Kay stopped. "Mokuba? Can you do a favor for me?"

"Sure."

"If anyone comes here or calls here, asking where Cat is or where me and Seto are, please don't tell them. Okay? This needs to be a secret. So don't tell Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu, Mr. Motou and especially Atem. Or any of our other friends. Can you do that for me?"

Mokuba nodded once. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Thanks. You're such a good kid!" Kay said smiling as she ruffed his hair a little. "Anyways, I'll see you when I get back, okay?"

"Alright! Good luck!"

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

Cat froze and gasped.

That was Tema's voice...

Cat glanced over her shoulder slightly only to find Tema stand about 10 feet away from her.

"You shouldn't be here. Its the employee's day off." He said, sounding natural.

"O-oh...Must...have forgotten!" Cat laughed, trying to disguise her voice.

Tema grinned.

"Uh...so...I-I guess I'll be heading out then. See you tomorrow!" Cat stuttered with a weak smile and began to walk off.

But she didn't get too far.

Tema was already right behind her and he ripped the turban off, pulling Cat back into him.

He smirked and grabbed Cat's arms so she couldn't move.

"That was very clever. But I'm afraid not it was not clever enough, Cat." He said against her ear.

Cat froze completely. Her breath shook and her heart pounded quickly and heavily.

"Heh, you're in my hands now Cat. I think its cute how you thought you could handle this all by yourself. You're weak when your friends aren't with you. And now that I have you...well...I may not let you go." Tema said darkly.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Cat's face as it remained frozen in fear.

* * *

"Guys, this is getting strange." Jounouchi said, sitting on a desk.

"You know... I was shocked that I said you were right once...but I'm devastated to say that I agree with you again, Jounouchi." Honda said.

"Shut up Honda. I'm being serious here." Jounouchi said, glaring at Honda.

"Jounouchi's right. This is really weird, guys." Anzu said, looking worried.

"I don't understand it...where could Cat be? Yesterday she was apparently sick." Yugi pondered out loud.

Atem sat at his desk in silence, lost in thought.

Jounouchi glanced at Atem.  
"The Pharaoh must be really worried. He hasn't said a word since he got here...and I don't think he can hear us at the moment." He said.

"Yeah. Atem's worried...and frustrated." Yugi said, looking at his silent friend.

"Frustrated?" Honda asked.

"Well...he knows Cat's hiding something from all of us and she's not saying anything. Cat's been acting extremely weird and the Pharaoh just wants to know why so he can help her." Yugi explained.

"I can see how that an be pretty frustrating." Anzu said.

"Yeah. But maybe she has a good reason for it. Like...what if she's being threatened?" Jounouchi suggested.

"That's possible." Honda said.

"It might be. But even if we asked her, she most likely wouldn't tell us." Yugi said.

Everyone nodded and sighed.

Anzu looked at the clock on the wall.

"Class is about to start in three minutes...I'm surprised Kay hasn't shown up." She said.

"She hasn't?" Jounouchi asked.

"Now that you mention it...we haven't seen her today, have we?" Honda mentioned.

"You're right. I wonder where she is?" Anzu wondered out loud.

"Hey! Have you seen Tema today?"

The four friends glanced behind them. Two girls were talking in the back of the classroom.

"No, I haven't. Here's not here today! I'm really disappointed..." One of the girls said sadly.

"Awww...me too. But now that I think about it, Cat Tsuru isn't here today either."

"What's she got to do with Tema not being here?"

"Well...yesterday at lunch, I saw them talking behind the gym! And they were alone! It makes me angry!"

"Whaaaat?! Really?! Argh! That irritates me too! You don't think she was confessing to him, do you?"

"I hope not! She has a boyfriend already, doesn't she?"

"That's what I thought. So, what else happened?"

"They talked for a while and then Tema left and Cat was alone for a while until she left to the nurses office."

"Hmph! Some nerve she has! Trying to be alone with Tema...especially since she already has a boyfriend! She must be cheating on him! The poor guy."

The two girls continued on about the subject while Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda looked shocked. They turned back to each other.

"Tema's HAS to be behind this! I'm certain of it now!" Jounouchi exclaimed.

"You're right. And now we need to find out what he's up to!" Yugi agreed.

"Wait, guys. Stepping back a moment; it really IS strange how both Cat and Tema are both absent today. Not to mention how Cat disappeared before anyone woke up, right?" Anzu said.

"Okay. Something is defiantly going on here." Jounouchi said. "We probably should check it out."

"But we can't just leave school like this...we'll get caught." Anzu pointed out.

"I don't care! Not when my friend may be in trouble!" Jounouchi said. "If you don't wanna get caught, then stay here. I used to skip class all the time, so it doesn't bother me."

"Jounouchi, you can't just go by yourself!" Honda said.

"Sure I can. And I know just the place to start. Tema's company." Jounouchi said with a smug smile.

"No Jounouchi. I'll go."

Everyone looked at Atem in surprise.

"Wha? Are you sure buddy?" Jounouchi asked.

Atem stood up.

"I'm sure. If Cat's in danger, I need to help her." He said.

"Alright. Be careful Pharaoh." Yugi said.

"We'll make up an excuse for the teacher for you." Anzu said.

"Yeah! So go for it!" Honda cheered.

"Thank you." Atem said before leaving the classroom.

* * *

Tema chuckled. "I still can't get over the fact that you fell into my hands so quickly and easily. Did you forget that you're one of my targets?" Cat didn't move from her spot.

"But, I wonder what I should do now? With you in my captivity, making the Pharaoh suffer will be easier."

Cat tensed up.

"Leave him alone." She said as bravely as she could.

"Nice try. But you know simple words such as that isn't going to make me obey you." Tema said.

She didn't reply.

"Hmmm...what to do, what to do? I can simply kill you. That would bring suffering to the Pharaoh. I could torture you horrible...Or maybe I can anger him by removing your virginity painfully." Tema pondered out loud.

Cat frowned a little.

"Y-You're sick..." She mummered.

Tema smirked.  
"That's the idea, little girl. Whatever it takes to get back at the Pharaoh. Like maybe a good idea would be to threaten to kill you and have him surrender to me." He continued.

"Atem would never do that!" Cat snapped back. "He doesn't surrender."

"Oh? You don't think he'll give up his life so he can save the life of the girl he's in love with? You silly child. To save your life, he would." Tema said.

Cat, again, didn't reply.

"All four of those ideas are wonderful. I know! I'll just put them together! I'll do all four." He chuckled darkly.

"No! I won't let you get away with this!" Cat cried, struggling against him. She stopped suddenly, when Tema pulled out a knife and held it up against her neck.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter." He said in a low voice, his face dark.

* * *

"We're finally here!" Kay sighed, jumping out of the limo.

Kaiba stepped out of the limo and turned to the limo driver.

"I'll call you when we're ready to leave." Kaiba said.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba." The driver said and drove off.

Kay looked determined.

"Alright. Let's get this over with!" She said and began to walk towards the building with Kaiba.

"Kay? Kaiba?" A breathless voice asked.

Kay stopped and looked over her shoulder. Her eyes suddenly grew and she jumped back in surprise.

"A-Atem?! What are you doing here?!" Kay asked, sweatdropping.

"I'm here to see if Cat's here. She disappeared from the Game Shop this morning and we all learned that Tema is most defiantly behind all this." Atem panted.

"So I'm guessing you ran the whole way here from Domino High? Pssh. That wasn't smart." Kaiba said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"_CRAP! Atem wasn't supposed to find out! Arrrg...well...we have no choice._" Kay thought to herself.

"I had no choice, Kaiba. Cat's in danger." Atem replied.

"Hmph. Well, the more we stand here chit-chatting, the more time we waste. Let's just get her out of the building so we can return to our lives." Kaiba said, turning around and walking towards the building.

Kay sighed.

"That's Seto for ya." She mummered. "Well, since you're here, we might as well go in together. C'mon Atem." She said before following Kaiba.

Atem caught up with Kay.

"Why are you guys here anyways?" He asked.

"Same reason you are." Kay sighed again for rubbing her forehead. "Ugh, you're already here, so I might as well spill the beans. Cat called me early this morning. She told me about her plan to sneak into Tema's company building. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. I'm sorry you didn't know about this Atem. She asked me not to tell you. I guess she didn't want you to worry."

"Hm. Well I ended up worrying anyways." Atem said.

"She probably didn't think that part out. Of course you're going to get worried if she suddenly disappears from the Game Shop." Kay said, shrugging her shoulders. "But then again...this is Cat we're talking about. She's not always the brightest person out there."

The three entered the building.

* * *

**Aaaaaaaaannnnnnddddd...Tema's a jerk. Have I done a good job of making him a creep? LOL**

**Anyways, this chapter is a little shorter and its a cliffhanger! Mwuahaha! Lol Just kidding...but it is a cliffy, I guess. **

**What do you suppose will happen to Cat? Will Tema go through with his plans before Atem, Kay and Kaiba find her? I mean...they have 36 floors to search. Are they gonna search the whole thing, or pick a random floor? They may not reach Cat in time...  
**

**Okay, I'll shut up now. LOL See ya next chapter! :D Hope you enjoyed!  
**


	103. Eternal Snow: Valentines Day Special!

**Hey Guys! How ya'll doin'?! Good? COOL! Now, last night I decided to write an "Eternal Snow" Valentines Day Special! So I did! And it's kinda sad that it ended up longer than the actual main stories' chapters. LOL But, I think it turned out okay. :D  
Anyways, this chapter happens before the whole "Tema" incident. But it happens after Cat and Atem return to Domino from America. So...somewhere in between there. Okies?  
And if the chapter seems cheesy...well...it's Valentines Day! I'm allowed to write cheesy romance! :P lol**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy!  
**

* * *

"KAAAY! WAIT UP!"

Kay stopped and looked over her shoulder. It was raining outside that day so Kay was carrying an umbrella. Lunch had just started and Kay was heading over to the gym to deliver something to the gym teacher.

"Cat?" Kay turned around as Cat jogged up to her. "What's up?"

"Well...I kinda need your help on something." Cat panted.

"Like what?" Kay asked.

"First off...tomorrow is Valentines Day." Cat said.

Kay nodded.

"Yes...yes it is."

"Are you making some chocolate for Kaiba?"

"Of...course." Kay mummered, looking a little embarrassed. "I've never made or given anyone Valentine's chocolate before...so its a little embarrassing. I hope to make it in the shape of the Blue Eyes White Dragon."

"Hehe...I'm sure Kaiba will like that. So...you know how to make chocolate?"

"Yeah, I do...wait...I have a feeling I know where this is going."

"And you're probably right. C-Can you help me make some Valentines chocolate too?"

"Lemme guess. It's for Atem, right?"

Cat blushed a little.

"Y-Yeah...Like you, I've never given anyone Valentines chocolate before...so it's embarrassing for me too. But...it's more meaningful if you make it yourself. But sadly..."

"You can't cook OR bake. I know, Cat, I know...you have zero ability or cook or bake."

"Yes, exactly." Cat mummered.

"Well, alright. I'll help. Kaiba's going to a meeting today, so the good thing is, is that it'll be a surprise. Okay then. After school, you can come with me to Kaiba's mansion and we'll make chocolate together. Alright? I'll make sure that you don't burn or set fire to anything."

"R-Really? Thank you so much Kay!"

"No problem. Anyways, I gotta deliver these papers to the gym teacher. So I'll catch up with you and everyone else for lunch, okay?"

Cat nodded.

"Okay! See you inside!"

* * *

Atem, Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu sat together in the classroom with their lunches.

"Hey guys! You know Valentines Day is tomorrow, right?" Honda brought up the subject.

Everyone looked at Honda.

"You're right! It is...I almost forgot." Yugi said.

"ALRIGHT! Bring on the sweets! I wonder how many girls will give me chocolates." Jounouchi cried happily.

"Don't get your hopes up, Jounouchi." Honda snickered. "You didn't do too well last year."

"Hey! Shut up! It's a new year!" Jounouchi snapped, frowning at Honda.

"I didn't forget about Valentines Day. It's a nice romantic holiday, isn't it? I got Valentines chocolate for everyone, so you guys will get yours tomorrow." Anzu said.

"Awesome! Thanks Anzu." Yugi said with a smile.

Atem blinked at everyone, confused.

"Um...so what is Valentines Day?" He asked.

Everyone looked at Atem.

"Oh, that's right. You wouldn't know what Valentines Day is, would you?" Honda mentioned.

"Valentines Day is celebrated in a lot of different countries. And some have their own way of celebrating it." Anzu explained.

"That's right." Yugi agreed. "Here in Japan, girls are usually the only ones who give Valentines Day chocolate. And they usually give them to the boys they like. But girls also can give them to boys and girls through friendship."

"So...girls are the only ones who give people chocolates?" Atem asked.

"That's right. Here in Japan at least. And if a girl gives a guy chocolate on Valentines Day; in March, guys give a gift to the girl that gave them chocolates." Yugi continued.

"In March? Why then?" Atem asked.

"March 14th is White day. It's a month after Valentines Day. And men who received Valentines Day chocolate from a woman gives a gift to the girl who gave them chocolate. It's polite to do so and it's a custom here in Japan." Yugi finished.

"Interesting." Atem mummered.

"The common gifts on White Day are things like cookies or jewelry or something like that." Honda added in.

"Valentines Day is also a day for couples to be together. That's one of the reasons why its the Holiday of Love." Anzu said.

"Alright! Enough Valentines Day talk! Time to eat!" Jounouchi said, pulling out his lunch.

Anzu frowned at him.

"Hey! Not until Cat gets back!" She said.

"What? But who knows how long that'll be!" Jounouchi complained just as Cat returned to the classroom.

"Hey guys! Sorry for the wait." She said with a small smile.

"About time! LET'S EAT!" Jounouchi cried and started to dig into his food.

Anzu looked at Jounouchi with her eyelids lowered and a sweatdrop on her head.

"That's Jounouchi...ALWAYS the perfect model of patience." She said.

Everyone except Jounouchi laughed.

* * *

"Okay! We're here! We're ready!"

Kay smiled in determination while Cat rolled up her sleeves and put on an apron. Kay did the same.

"Alright Cat. I'll make my own first and you can watch so you can kind of see how its done." Kay said.

Cat nodded.

It took a little while for Kay to make her chocolate. Cat watched the whole time, occasionally helping when it was needed.

"Whew...I think it turned out good. What do you think, Cat?"

Cat smiled at the Blue-Eyes White Dragon shaped chocolate. The Blue-Eyes White Dragon chocolate was holding a chocolate heart.

"I think it's cute. Looks great, Kay." She said.

"Thanks! Okay Cat. Let's work on yours. What do you want yours to look like?" Kay asked.

Cat thought for a moment.

"I'm...not sure." She said. "I guess I didn't really think about it."

"Well...we can make it in the shape of a heart. Or maybe the Millennium Puzzle?" Kay suggested.

Cat continued to think.

"Hmm...I dunno." She mummered.

Kay crossed her arms and thought for a little.

"Well, we should probably try and think this up soon..." She said.

After a few seconds, Cat lifted her head up.

"Oh! What if...we made a chocolate heart with the word "LOVE" written on it...but in Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics?" She suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. And it's perfect for Atem. Y'know. Since he can read Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics and all." Kay said with a smile.

Cat smiled.

"Alright then. I'll go look up the Hieroglyphics for "LOVE". Cat, you can get started on the chocolate. Just do what I did, okay?" Kay said.

"Okay." Cat nodded as Kay left.

Kay was only gone for a few minutes. She came back to the kitchen with a piece of paper. What was written on it was what they needed.

"How are you doing in here Ca-AHHH!"

The area was a little messy. Cat was already trying to cook the chocolate, but it was starting to burn.

Kay rushed up to her.

"Cat! You're burning the chocolate! And it doesn't look like you made the chocolate right!" She cried, turning off the heat and trying to clear things up.

"I-I'm sorry!" Cat cried.

Once everything was fixed and cleared up, Kay sighed.

"It's okay Cat. I'll be here to help you this time." She said.

It didn't take as long for Kay and Cat to make Cat's Valentine chocolate as it did Kay's.

Once they were finished, both girls smiled down at the chocolate.

"It looks great!" Kay said with a smile.

"It does." Cat agreed.

"Okay! All that's left is to wrap them up! Let's go do that, okay?" Kay said.

Cat nodded.

"Okay!"

* * *

Valentine's Day.

Cat looked around.

Atem and Yugi weren't awake yet.

Trying to be quite, Cat began to sneak towards the front door. She was going to try and get to Domino High before her other friends. She was supposed to meet Kay there.

"Ho, ho. Cat, why are you heading out so early?"

Cat jumped and gasped in surprise. She turned around, hiding the wrapped Valentines Day chocolate behind her.

It was Solomon Motou.

"O-Oh...Good Morning Mr. Motou. I...just felt like going to school early today, is all." She laughed nervously.

"Oh?" He chuckled. "Going to go hide some Valentines Day chocolate for a certain someone?"

"Ye-Huh?! M-Mr. Motou! How did you..."

"Ho, Ho! It's not too hard to figure out, Cat!"

"O-Oh...I see. Well, um...could you not tell anyone else about this? It's supposed to be a surprise. I'm going to meet up with Kay when I get there...so if anyone asks, could you just tell them I was meeting up with Kay early today?"

"Of course I can. Just don't let me hold you up. The boys will be awake soon. Better get moving."

"Okay. Thank you Mr. Motou."

"No problem."

Cat smiled at him before turning and running out the door.

She ran down the sidewalk to the bus stop. Cat was going to meet up with Kay so she could hide her Valentines Day chocolates in Atem's shoe locker. Cat didn't know if Kay was going to hide her own in Kaiba's shoe locker...it depended on whether Kaiba was going to show up to school or not that day.

Once Cat arrived, she ran up to the school and in the the shoe locker area.

Kay was waiting for her.

"About time Cat. Let's hurry and hide your chocolate in Atem's shoe locker." She said.

"Did you hide your own already?" Cat asked as the two walked over to Atem's shoe locker.

"No. Seto isn't coming to school today. So I just left it on the desk in his personal office. He'll find it there." Kay smiled.

"Oh, I see." Cat said with a small smile. She opened up Atem's shoe locker and placed the chocolate gift inside it before closing it again.

"Alright! Mission accomplished! Now, how about we wait for Atem and everyone else in the classroom, okay?" Kay suggested.

Cat nodded.

"Right!"

* * *

"Good Morning everyone!"

Everyone looked at Yugi, Atem, Honda, Jounouchi and Anzu, whom had entered the room together. They all said their "Good Mornings".

Cat, who was at her desk, glanced at Atem before blushing a little and looking back down at her desk.

"_Oh geez...this is embarrassing. I wonder if he got the chocolate?_" She thought to herself.

The five friend approached Kay and Cat.

"Happy Valentines Day, guys." Anzu said, handing Kay and Cat a small box of chocolate. "The boys already got their Valentines Day chocolate from me."

Kay smiled.

"Thanks Anzu!" She said.

Cat smiled as well.

"Thank you."

Atem sat next to Cat.

"Good Morning Cat." He said with a smile.

"Morning." Cat said with a weak smile. "_Eh? He's not going to say anything? Well...I guess that's okay. I just hope he liked it._"

"So then...did you guys find anything interesting in your lockers this morning?" Kay asked with a sly grin.

"I found three Valentines Day chocolates in my shoe locker this morning." Yugi said.

Kay reached over and pinched Yugi's cheek.

"That's because the girls love your "cute" face." She laughed.

"Ow! Kay!" Yugi cried.

Kay let go and looked at Jounouchi, Honda and Atem.

"How about you guys?" She asked.

"I found one in my locker!" Jounouchi said proudly with his hands on his hips. "Although...I don't know who gave it to me. It's from a "Secret Admirer"."

Kay's jaw dropped.

"Jounouchi Katsuya...I never thought it could actually happen. I'm shocked beyond believe." She said.

Jounouchi glared at her.

"What's THAT supposed ta mean!?" He snapped.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." She said innocently.

"Relax Jounouchi. Kay's joking with you." Yugi laughed.

"Yeah, she tends to do that..." Jounouchi grumbled.

Honda sighed and sulked a little.

"I didn't get any Valentines Day gifts." He said sadly.

"There, there, Honda. Your time will come." Kay said before looking at Atem. "What about you?"

"Me? Um...well...I got one." He said.

"From who?" Kay asked with a grin and glanced at Cat, who blushed a little.

"Umm...I think the girl's name was Yukino." He said.

Cat gasped, her eyes wide.

"Yukino?!" Kay asked. Her face also showed clear surprise. "A-Are you sure that was the only one?"

Atem nodded.

Cat and Kay looked at each other in shock.

"Oh no..." Kay muttered.

Everyone looked at Kay and Cat in curiosity.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Honda asked.

"I...I-I...put Valentines Day chocolate in Atem's shoe locker..." Cat stuttered.

"What?" Everyone except Kay and Cat gasped.

"And it wasn't there?!" Jounouchi asked.

"Did somebody steal it?" Yugi asked.

"Let's go check it out, guys." Anzu said.

Everyone quickly stood up and left the classroom.

* * *

Kay sighed.

"The one from Yukino really was the only one." She said, closing Atem's shoe locker. "But I don't understand...Cat put the chocolate in this morning. Did we get the wrong locker?"

Cat shook her head.

"No...I was positive that this was the right one." She said.

Jounouchi rubbed his head.

"Man...that sucks. I guess someone took it then." He said.

Cat looked down at the ground.

"Who would do such a thing?" She asked sadly as tears came to her eyes. "We worked so hard on it..."

Atem pulled Cat into a hug.

"Its okay Cat. I'm still very happy that you even made some chocolate for me." He said, trying to comfort her.

Kay put her hands on her hips.

"Even though Atem is happy about this, I'm still not satisfied." She said, looking a little irritated.

"Neither am I, but what can we do?" Yugi mummered.

Anzu was in thought.

"You know...I saw a TV show once, where someone did something like this before." She said. "But...I can't remember what happened exactly."

"Huh? Oh! I know what you're talking about!" Yugi exclaimed. "In the show, there was a girl who had a crush on some guy. And she left Valentines Day chocolate in the boy's shoe locker. But another girl, who had a crush on the same guy, saw this and took the first girl's chocolate and threw it away. After she did that, she replaced it with her own Valentines Day chocolate."

"Hey, I remember that too." Jounouchi said.

"I think we all actually watched that episode together a long time ago. Before we met Cat and Kay." Honda said.

"Yeah, probably." Yugi said. "But if that's what really happened...then...Cat's chocolate should be in the trash can."

"Well, lets see for ourselves." Jounouchi said, marching towards the nearest trash can and looking into it. "Whoa...there's actually quite a few in here."

"What? Really?" Kay asked, walking over, along with everyone else. They all peered in. "You're right! Sheesh, there's a lot of rude girls out there." Kay sweatdropped.

"Any of them look familiar, Cat?" Yugi asked.

Cat looked around.

"Umm...Oh! I found it!" She cried, pulling the package out of the trash can.

"Thank goodness its at least in one piece." Kay said. "The candy is still wrapped so it should still be good. Hmph, if I ever run into that Yukino girl, she's gonna regret doing such a horrible thing!"

Cat brushed of the box a little.

"Uh..." She looked at Atem and blushed a little, handing him the box. "H-Here. Happy Valentine's Day."

Atem looked at the box and smiled, accepting it.

"Thank you very much Cat." He said before leaning down and kissing her cheek, causing Cat to blush more.

"Aw, isn't that cute? Now open it Atem. Cat had something special done to it." Kay said, grinning.

Atem opened the box and glanced inside. He blinked a few times before chuckling.

"That's a nice touch." He said.

Everyone else gathered around and looked inside the box.

"Wha...? I can't read that!" Jounouchi exclaimed.

"Of course you can't! It's written in Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics!" Anzu said. "You already proved that you couldn't read it back when we were in the world of the Pharaoh's memories."

"Huh? Whadda mean?" Jounouchi asked.

"Does the phrase, "Bird, rock, lamb chop, bird and a bigger bird", ring a bell?" Anzu asked.

"HEY! That's what it looked like!" Jounouchi snapped.

Everyone laughed.

"The Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics on the chocolate say, "Love", Jounouchi." Atem explained.

"It does? Oooohh. Well isn't that cute?" Jounouchi grinned at Cat.

Cat blushed, looking embarrassed.

"That was a pretty creative idea, Cat." Yugi said.

"Thanks." She said weakly.

* * *

The bell rang.

School was out for the day. Atem and Cat walked out together.

"Well, now that schools out, did you want to go do something?" Atem asked.

Cat looked up at him.

"Do something? Like what?" She asked.

Atem blushed a very pale pink.

"W-Well...something like a...date? As you would call it?" He asked.

Cat blinked and smiled.

"I'd love to." She said.

Kay ran out of the school behind them. Once she reached Atem and Cat, she slapped their backs.

"Hello, lovebirds!" She said happily.

"OW!" Both Cat and Atem cried.

"Goin' on a date, you two?" Kay asked. "Good plan! But Atem, make sure you don't try and take advantage of Cat, if you know what I mean."

Atem blushed brightly.

"Kay!" He snapped.

Cat was red as well. Kay laughed.

"Relax! I was only kidding. Anyways, I'm heading home. Have fun you two!" She said before running off.

Atem and Cat stared after her.

"I think she's really anxious to see Kaiba." Cat said. "She left him chocolates too."

"Did she? Heh. Well today is a good day to spend some time with each other." Atem said with a smile.

"Yeah." Cat agreed.

* * *

Kay walked into the mansion.

"I'm home!" She called.

"Welcome back Kay!" Mokuba said, running up to her.

"Thanks Mokey." Kay said. "Did you like the Valentines Day gift I left you this morning?"

"Yeah! I loved it! Thanks a lot!" Mokuba said happily.

Kay smiled.

"You're welcome." She said.

"Welcome back, Kay."

Kay looked up. Kaiba stood in front of a nearby doorway he had just walked through. Kay smiled at him.

"Thanks, Seto." She said.

Kaiba walked up to her.

"Thank you for the gift this morning. I really enjoyed it." He said with a small smile.

"Oh? You liked it! I'm glad!" Kay said happily.

Kaiba nodded.

"By the way...there's a meeting tonight at the Kaiba Corp. building. I have to attend it, and I would like you to attend it as well." He said.

Kay's face slowly fell.

"A meeting? But...I thought you said that you weren't going to have any today." She said, her voice a little quieter.

"Well, this one came up all of the sudden. We leave in a few hours. Will you meet me there?" He asked.

Kay stared at him before sighing.

"Alright, sure." She said.

"Thanks. Roland will take you there when its time. Just remember that the meeting is in my office, okay? I'll see you tonight." Kaiba said before walking off.

Kay looked at the ground, disappointed.

"Kay? Are you alright?" Mokuba asked.

Kay sighed again. "Just a little disappointed Mokey. I was hoping me and Seto could spend time together tonight, like other couples." She smiled sadly. "But...I should have expected this from Seto Kaiba. That's just how he works."

Mokuba looked a little sad.

"Don't be sad Kay. I'm sure you'll get your chance." He said.

"Thanks Mokey." Kay said, kneeling down and hugging him.

* * *

"Ms. Simms, are you ready to leave?" Roland asked, standing by a limo.

"Yes, I'm ready." Kay sighed, walking up to the limo.

Roland opened the door for Kay and she stepped in. After closing Kay's door, Roland walked up to the drivers seat and climbed in, starting the car.

Kay leaned against the door, looking out at the night sky.

"_I wonder if Seto is just kinda dense about Valentines Day? Or maybe he's just being insensitive...he can be like that at times. Nothing new there. I dunno. Maybe Seto doesn't feel ready to act like a real couple? I mean...I don't think he's ever been in a relationship like this before. Augh, why am I even bothering myself with these stupid questions?! That's not like me..._"

"Ms. Simms, we're here." Roland said.

Kay blinked and sat up, looking out the window. They were outside of Kaiba Corp.

"Wow...guess time flies when you space out. Thanks Roland." Kay said before stepping out of the car. Once she shut the door behind her, Roland drove off.

Kay looked up at the Kaiba Corp. building.

"In his office, huh? That's an odd place to hold a meeting. Oh well." She muttered to herself as she began to climb the steps up to the main entrance.

Once she got inside and entered the elevator, she couldn't help but notice that the building was very dark. Even from the outside, the building windows were dark. How strange...

A little "ding" told Kay that she had reached her destination. The doors opened and Kay walked out of the elevator. She glanced around.

Huh...it was dark up here too. Not to mention the whole building seemed empty! Did the meeting get canceled without her knowing it?

No...Kaiba would have let her know.

After a short pause, Kay continued on. She finally reached the door which led to Kaiba's office.

Carefully and quietly, she opened the door and peeked in.

The office had no lights on as well! The only thing that lit the room was the bright moonlight that filtered through the office's large window. But even though the room seemed empty, Kay spotted Kaiba standing next to his desk, arms crossed over his chest.

She sighed and walked in, closing the door behind her.

"O-kay...so...what kind of meeting is this?" Kay asked, putting her hands on her hips. "The whole building is dark and no one else is even here."

Kaiba smirked a little.

"I know." He said.

Kay raised her eyebrow.

"So...am I early or something? You said there was a meeting...you're even wearing your white suit and all." She asked.

Kaiba put one hand on his desk and the other in his pocket, raising an eyebrow of his own at her.

"No. You're not early. You're just in time." He said.

Kay frowned a little and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine. Then do you care to explain what's going on?" She asked.

The smirk returned to Kaiba's lips.

"Isn't it easy?" He asked. "Come over here."

Kay stared at him a moment before sighing and walking over to him.

She looked up at the taller male.

Kaiba's smirk remained and he gently took Kay's chin in his hand.

"There isn't really a meeting. I called you out here so you and I could be alone. Did I surprise you?"

Kay blinked.

"Er...well, I suppose I can say that you most defiantly did." She said.

"Hn, well I'm glad that part was a success." Kaiba said. "Now all that's left is how the rest of the evening goes."

Kay frowned a little, blushing.

"The rest of the evening?" She repeated.

"Sure." Kaiba said. "Kind of like this."

He leaned over and kissed her softly. Kay closed her eyes and leaned in.

Once they pulled back, Kay stared at him.

"Oh, so that's why you wore your white and suit?" She asked.

"Of course. You like this one, don't you?" Kaiba asked, leaning down and kissing her neck.

Kay blushed again.

"Y-Yeah..." She answered.

Kaiba placed a few kisses around her neck before lifting his head again, bringing her closer to him and kissing the top of her head.

"I feel short." Kay mummered.

"Well, you are shorter than me, at least." Kaiba chuckled.

Kay looked up at him.

"Well, you're taller than all of my friends." She said.

"Exactly." Kaiba said, kissing her head again. "In fact, because you're shorter than me, I don't know what I should do."

"Huh?" Kay asked.

Kaiba smiled and picked Kay up a little, holding her from under her arms.

"Wha?! H-Hey!" Kay cried.

Kaiba sat her down on his desk and stood in front of her.

"There. That helps a little." He said, looking amused.

Kay didn't look amused.

"Glad we got it all figured out." She said in an unamused tone, her eyelids lowered.

"Me too." Kaiba said, leaning over her and against the desk, kissing her again.

Again Kay kissed him back and placed her hands on his shoulders. They pulled back again.

"Happy Valentines Day." Kaiba said.

Kay smiled a little.

Kaiba leaned down and kissed Kay's collarbone, going up her neck and to her cheek before capturing her lips with his own again.

The night seemed to be more beautiful and calm that night.

* * *

"Did you have fun today?"

Cat leaned against Atem as the sound of waves filled the air. She glanced up at him.

"Yes. A lot of fun. Thank you Atem." She said softly.

The two sat with each other on a bench in Domino Park. The bench overlooked the sea.

Atem played with a few strands of Cat's hair.

"You're welcome. I had fun too." He said.

Cat laughed quietly.

"Y-You know...this is the first time I've spend Valentines Day with someone like this." She said.

"Oh? Well, same here obviously."

"That's true...but you're kind of a natural at it."

Atem rubbed the side of his head sheepishly, glancing to the side. "You think so? I thought I wasn't doing all that great...leading the date and all."

"No, it was perfect." Cat sighed.

"I'm glad."

Silence fell between the two for a moment.

"A-Atem? I've been...kinda curious...when did you first...falling for me?" Cat asked, looking at her lap, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Huh?" Atem looked at her before looking back up at the night sky in thought. "Well...after Battle City, I guess. I didn't really believe it was "love" at first, though. I had never fallen in love with anyone before...well, except Luna, and I obviously didn't remember how that felt. But at the time, the feeling was new to me and I wasn't sure what to make of it. Yugi really gave me a hard time about it though." Atem answered.

Cat giggled a little.

"I can see him doing that." She said.

Atem smiled a little.

"Yeah. But I suppose I finally accepted those feelings when we were fighting Dartz. When you were taken away from me." He said. "Heh, even before the end of Battle City, there was something about you. A little while after we first met, I had this strange feeling overwhelm me. I felt completely obligated to protect you. And I'll be honest with you. Back when we first met, you weren't very strong."

Cat laughed lightly.

"You're right...I wasn't really strong. But I guess that's because I wasn't used to this sort of thing. I kind of got thrown into this dangerous adventure." She said.

"Yes. And because you weren't very strong...well...I guess that need to protect you just came naturally. You always seemed so fragile back then. It was almost as if the slightest bit of impact could break you into pieces. But even though it seemed that way, you were still...always trying to do your best. And always trying to be strong. Even when you knew you weren't strong enough. Heh, heh, maybe that's why." Atem said.

Cat blushed a little.

"Th-that's quite a mouthful, Atem." She laughed.

"I guess. So then what about you?"

"Huh?"

"When did you first start to fall in love with me?"

Cat blushed more.

"Uh...well...let's see if I can remember." She stuttered. "Um...I guess I was a little later than you. I didn't realize I loved you until we entered the world of your memories. But I probably started having those feelings during the Kaiba Corp. Grand Championship Tournament. But even before then, after we first met, for some reason I felt completely safe with you. And I liked being with you. I guess you could say there was something special I saw in you."

Atem smiled warmly at her.

"But...do there's something else I've been wondering." Cat said, looking a little sheepish. "Y-You don't think that...your love for me is only...because of the fact that I'm Luna's decedent...do you?"

Atem stared at her for a moment, examining her face.

"No. Of course not. Because believe it or not, even though you and Luna look alike, you two a fairly different. Three Thousand Years ago, I fell in love with Luna. But here and now. I'm in love with you, Cat. And nothing is ever going to change that." He answered. "Besides. The fact that you're Luna's decedent is, to me, destiny saying that you and I are meant for each other."

Cat glanced up at Atem shyly before he took her chin in his hand and lifted it up so she would look at him.

"And honestly...I wouldn't have it any other way." He whispered before leaning down and kissing her gently.

Cat blushed and kissed him back, leaning in closer to him.

Atem smiled at her once they pulled away.

"I love you Cat. And only you." He whispered.

"And you're the only one I love." Cat said quietly, looking embarrassed.

Atem smiled again and lifted her head up to where she was looking at the night sky, before leaning over and placing gentle kisses on her neck.

While Atem did so, Cat blushed and stared up at the stars in the sky, her eyelids slowly closing.

* * *

"So Kay! What do you think Kaiba is going to get you for White Day?" Jounouchi asked.

It was Sunday and there was no school that day. So everyone decided to hang out and walk around Domino City.

"I dunno." Kay said. "Whatever he feels like?"

Jounouchi snickered slyly.

"Whatever he feels like? For all we know, he's probably going to buy you lingerie and expect you to model it for him." He snickered.

Kay glared at him angrily and kicked him in the shin...hard.

"OW! KAY! #%$!" Jounouchi yelled, holding his leg and hopping up and down on one foot.

"Shut up Jounouchi! You can be such a pervert! Seto wouldn't do that!" Kay snapped.

"How...ow! Do...you know?!" Jounouchi said through clenched teeth.

Kay and Jounouchi continued to bicker.

"Wow..." Anzu mummbled. "And I though me and Jounouchi were the only ones who fought."

"Well, you have to admit. Jounouchi kind of deserved that one." Honda laughed.

Cat walked over to the two and tried to calm them down.

While she did that, Yugi walked up next to Atem.

"So Pharaoh. What did you get Cat for White Day?" He asked.

Atem looked at Yugi, surprised.

"Huh?" He asked.

"What did you get Cat for White Day? I know you already went and picked it up with Grandpa." Yugi said, grinning.

Atem smiled a little and glanced to the side.

"A ring." He said quietly so the others couldn't hear.

"A ring?" Yugi repeated quietly.

Atem nodded.

"A silver ring. With the words, "I love you for eternity" carved on it."

* * *

**WHOO! Well that was fun to write. I hope you all enjoyed it. :D**

**I wanted to focus on Ryuuzashipping (KaibaXKay) some more, and I hope it turned out okay. (There's my V-day gift to you Kay-chan! Hope you liked it! :D)**

**And of course, I threw in a little Eternalshipping. (Atem/YamiXCat)**

**Anyways, Happy Valentines Day to you all! :D  
See you next chappie!  
**


	104. Escaping Death

Tema chuckled.

"Its cute how you think you're going to escape me." He said holding onto Cat, the knife still up against her neck. "We can make this a lot easier for us both. Just surrender to me. If not, well...we can always still do this the hard way."

Cat bit her lip.

"Either way...I can't let you get away with this." She whispered.

Tema laughed.

"You're such a funny girl." He said darkly. "Who knows? Maybe I'll find a way to keep the Pharaoh suffering for the rest of our lives. And I can keep you for myself."

Cat bit her lip harder and stomped on Tema's foot as hard as she could. Tema cried out in pain. Cat took the chance to push his arms away from her, while he was off guard and run for it.

Tema growled and scowled darkly. Cat's escape didn't last long. The tie she wore flew past her as she ran and Tema grabbed it, forcing Cat to come back to him. She cried out in surprise as Tema jerked her back up to his face.

He glared at her.

"You think you can escape me that easily? Hmph." Tema took the tie off of Cat and knocked her to the ground. "That's almost funny." He grabbed her hands and pinned them behind her back. Even though Cat struggled, Tema successfully used the tie to tie her hands up.

"I really must thank you though." Tema said, while he stood up and retrieved his knife. "If it wasn't for you, then it would probably be much harder for me to lure in and kill the Pharaoh."

Cat glared at Tema and swung a kick at him. Tema barely dodged it. "Whoa! You're getting a little too "frisky" for me." He sighed and shook his head, kneeling down next to Cat. "I never thought I would have to do this...but..."

He grabbed one of Cat's arms to hold it still. Then before Cat could react, Tema took his knife and slashed her arm. Cat screamed out in pain.

"There. If the only way to keep you settled down was to hurt you, then that's what I'll do. Every time you try to fight back, I'll cut you." Tema said, a dark look on his face. He stood up and put his knife away, walking into a nearby room.

Cat laid there, sobbing quietly as she felt the blood stain the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing.

* * *

"Guys...did we even think about what floor to go to first?" Kay asked.

The three stood in the lobby, trying to think up a plan.

Atem sighed.

"That's true. There's over 30 floors to check...and we need to get Cat out as soon as possible." He said. "I know something's up...no one's here."

"C'mon. You and your friends came here once before, right? Was there any room she seemed interested in?" Kaiba asked.

Atem and Kay was silent in thought for a moment.

"Wait a minute. She found the stone tablets on the 37th floor, right? I'll bet you she went back to that floor." Kay said, raising her head back up.

"We might as well start there. But the elevator only goes up to the 36th floor." Atem said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kay said, walking to the elevator.

Atem and Kaiba glanced at each other for a second before following Kay.

* * *

Tema glanced at a few TV screens. He was in the nearby security room.

"No one needs to be here, so..." He mummered to himself, pressing a few control buttons. He paused when he spotted what was on one of the TV screens. It was the security camera in the elevator.

"Well, well, well..." He smirked.

Atem, Kay and Kaiba were in the elevator, talking.

"It looks like the Pharaoh just saved me the trouble of luring him here." He said to himself before looking at Kay and Kaiba. "And, as an added bonus, the High Priest and Priestess have come to join the party."

He studied the screen a moment longer.  
"If I'm correct, they're coming to this floor. Well...I suppose I should get moving." He muttered to himself before quickly turning and leaving the room.

He re-entered the main room of the 36th floor. Cat hadn't moved.

Tema grinned.

"I'm glad you took my advice and stayed put." He said, walking over to her. "But I have a few uninvited guests coming. Three people you seem to know. And I need to take care of them."

Cat's eyes slowly grew.

"So then. I'm going to take you up to the 37th floor and you're going to keep quiet. Okay? I'm sure you don't want to witness the death of your two friends and lover, right?"

"You...You wouldn't dare touch them!" Cat shuttered.

"Ah well...I'm afraid I have to. Now. Be a good little girl and come with me." Tema said as he attempted to lift Cat up.

Cat glared at him and resisted.

"Whoa, hey now. Remember what I said about defying me?" He pointed out before sighing and taking out his knife. "I guess we'll have to do this all over again."

"CAT!"

Tema stopped and looked at the elevator doors. Atem, Kay and Kaiba stood there.

Kay and Atem looked devistated while Kaiba looked simply surprised.

Atem's face quickly turned into a fierce scowl.

"Get away from her." He growled.

"Oh. It looks like I've been caught." Tema said, putting the knife away and stood up. "But that's alright. Everything ends today."

Cat looked at the three desperately.

"Atem! Kay! Kaiba! Get out of here! NOW!" She cried as she struggled to sit up.

"You...I knew you were so freakin' messed up!" Kay snapped. "Who the heck are you?!"

"Well, since you're all here and you're all going to die anyways, I might as well tell you." Tema said simply. "My mission is to kill the Pharaoh."

Kay and Kaiba glanced at Atem.

"My name really is Tema. But I've been alive for 3,000 years. In fact, I was Bakura's best man." Tema continued.

"You...You worked with Bakura?!" Kaiba asked.

"Yes, I did. But when Bakura tried to kill the Pharaoh, he decided to work on his own. And when he failed, I was sealed away so I could kill the Pharaoh the when he was re-awakened. Bakura was re-awakened as well, but as I can see, he didn't finish the job. And I won't disappear until the Pharaoh is gone."

"So you were connected to the past." Atem growled. "If its me you want, then why did you bring Cat into this?!"

Tema burst out laughing.

"Oh, that's funny! Isn't it obvious? She's your lover, right? The decedent of Luna? The person who you would die for? Why else would I bring that girl into all this?" He laughed. "She makes the perfect bait. You see, you kept Luna under heavy security. Its a shame you didn't do the same for Cat."

Atem's face had mixed emotions. Rage, Regret, and Fear. He glanced at Cat.

Cat stared at him and the other two desperately, waiting for them to listen to her and run away. Atem frowned at the floor.  
"I...could never do that to Cat. In the past, I knew Luna hated being kept in the palace. She was a free spirit. She wanted to be in a place where she could spread her arms out. But...I knew she would never tell me that. I ended up figuring that out on my own." He clenched his fist. "I don't want Cat to feel like a prisoner. Besides. I didn't think I would have to worry about her like I did Luna, these days."

"How touching. Too bad both parties can't be happy." Tema shook his head in false pity. "Anyways, its a shame I have to kill you all. Especially when Cat did such a good job on her end of the deal."

"Deal?" Kay asked, still frowning at Tema.

"Why, yes. She knew who I was the whole time. And she knew my plan to kill the Pharaoh. But I warned her that if she told anyone about my plan, I would not only kill the Pharaoh, but all her friends." Tema grinned.

Atem, Kay and Kaiba looked at Cat.

A few tears ran down Cat's face.

"I'm so sorry you guys. I-I...I didn't want anyone to die! And...I just didn't want to bring any of you into this. I wanted to find a way to stop Tema before he hurt anyone!"

"Cat..." Atem said, his arm automatically reaching towards Cat to comfort her. But his body refused to go any further, knowing that if he tried, he would probably end up getting Cat or the others hurt. He sighed and dropped his arm, lowering his head slightly. "So that's why she was acting so weird yesterday..."

"Exactly. Now, allow me to finish my job." Tema said, gripping his knife before raising his arm, ready to throw it at Atem.

"WATCH IT!" Kay yelled and grabbed Atem's arm, pulling him out of the way just before Tema threw the knife. The knife stuck in the wall just where Atem used to be. "Snap out of it Atem! This isn't the place or time to space out!"

Atem glanced at the nearby knife, stuck in the wall.

"You're right. Sorry." He mummered.

"Tch. Even in the present day, you still continue to protect the Pharaoh." Tema growled, frowning at Kay and Kaiba.

"Hey! He's not just some Pharaoh! He's our friend! And even if he wasn't a Pharaoh, being our friend is more than enough reason for us to try and protect him when he's in danger! It's call common sense." Kay snapped. "But then again, you probably don't have that, do ya, psycho?"

"Foolish Khephera. Friend or Pharaoh, he is what he is. I was considering not killing you, but I suppose I have no choice." Tema sighed and pulled out another knife.

"Whoa, whoa! Okay! First off, my name isn't Khephera! And you know that! Second off...WHERE the HECK are you keeping those FREAKING KNIVES?!"

Tema didn't reply and only smirked as he raised his arm. Not a second later, he threw the knife at Kay.

Kay gasped and closed her eyes, knowing there wasn't enough time for her to dodge the knife now! She waited for it to hit, until...something unexpected happened.

The sound of metal meeting metal filled everyone's ears. The knife fell to the ground just in front of Kay's feet.

Kay slowly opened her eyes to see a familiar metal patter in front of her.

"Listen, punk. I'm afraid I can't just let you have your way!"

Kaiba frowned at Tema, holding up his metal briefcase in front of Kay.

Tema glared at them.

"Tch, it seems like you all are just going to keep on protecting one another. Fine then." He backed up against a desk and opened one of it's drawers. Reaching inside, he pulled out multiple knifes, holding them in between his fingers.

"Okay, seriously. What is up with all the knives?! And why don't the employees who work here, notice all these dangerous, pointy objects laying around?!" Kay questioned.

"Don't worry! I'm sure you'll all get to see each other in death!" Tema laughed evilly as he prepared to throw his weapons.

"STOP IT!"

Cat slammed herself against Tema. While Tema was dealing with Kay, Kaiba and Atem, Cat forced herself to get up.

The push stalled Tema for a moment. He growled and smacked Cat, causing her to fall to the floor.

"Back off!" He hissed before he turned his attention back to the other three. But before Tema knew it, he was kicked in the chest and knocked back onto the ground, causing him to drop his weapons. The kick had knocked the wind out of him.

Kaiba towered over Tema. Kay grinned. "I never get tired of watching Seto do that." She said.

"I already told you. I can't let punks like you have your way." Kaiba said as Tema slowly sat up, trying to get his breath back.

Kay walked up next to Kaiba, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring down at Tema.

"WE can't let you have your way. You wanna hurt our friends? You have to go through us!" She said.

Atem was already next to Cat, helping her up.

"Cat, are you okay?!" He asked urgently.

"I'm fine." Cat said, wincing at the pain in her arm from earlier. "But we all need to get out of here."

Atem stared at Cat for a moment before looking at Kay and Kaiba.

Kaiba looked at Atem over his shoulder.

"You. Get your little girlfriend out of here before we have to save her again." He said in his usual cold-sounding voice.

Kay looked at the two as well.

"Seto's right. We'll handle things from here. Don't worry about us, okay? We'll meet with you later." She said.

Atem nodded.  
"Alright. I'll leave it to you two." He said.

"B-But Kay...!" Cat cried.

"Cat, don't worry about us! Worry about yourself for a change! Now hurry up and get out of here." Kay scolded.

Cat was silent for a second.

"Okay..." She said quietly.

Kay nodded and turned her attention back to Tema.

"C'mon Cat. Let's get you home." Atem said, entering the elevator with her.

Cat continued to stare at Kay and Kaiba until the elevator doors closed, blocking her view. Atem pressed one of the buttons and the elevator started to move towards the first floor.

"I hope they'll be alright." Cat whispered.

"They'll be fine, Cat. If I know those two, especially Kaiba, they'll be fine." Atem said, undoing the knot in the tie that bound Cat's hands together. "Like Kay said, you should worry about yourself. Especially that wound on your arm." Once he freed her hands, he sighed. "I'm so sorry Cat. I can't believe I let you get hurt like this."

"It wasn't your fault." Cat said quietly, looking at the cut. "Don't feel bat Atem. There wasn't anything you could do."

"I know. And that's what bugs me. I wish I had gotten here faster." Atem mummered before pulling Cat into a tight hug. "I want to protect you, but I don't want to protect you so much that you feel locked up...you understand that, right?"

Cat leaned against him.

"I know." She said softly. "But I don't want to burden you anymore. Especially like today. But it always seems to end up that way, no matter how hard I try."

"It's alright Cat. Just...after today...please don't try and handle things on your own like this. When you disappeared this morning, I was so worried about you. And I couldn't figure out where you had gone." Atem said, holding her closer.

"Then...how did you find me? Did Kay tell you?" Cat asked.

Atem shook his head lightly.

"No. I picked up a few hints at school. Some girls were talking about how you were talking to Tema yesterday at lunch. And I knew thats when you started acting strange. Plus I knew that you wanted to sneak into his company to learn more about him. So I took a guess that you were here. I didn't expect to find Kay and Kaiba when I arrived." He explained.

"I see. I'm sorry...I'll try not to worry you anymore."

The elevator stopped and let out a "ding", signaling that they had reached the first floor. The doors opened and the two exited the elevator.

* * *

"So? What are you going to do?"

Tema glared up at Kay and Kaiba.

"Nothing." He growled, slowly standing up. "Without the Pharaoh being here, there's no point in messing around with you two."

"What? You're just gonna chicken out?" Kay asked. She rolled her eyes. "How typical."

"Call it what you like." Tema said, backing away slowly. He stopped when he reached a large window. "But you will see me again. And next time, things won't go so smoothly for you." Without looking away from Kay and Kaiba, he quickly opened the window and leaped out.

Kay gasped and the two ran to the window, looking down from it.

"What the?! Is he really human!? He jumped from the 36th floor!" She cried.

Kaiba frowned a little, staring down at the ground below them.

"I'm more concerned about the fact that he disappeared." He said.

Kay blinked.

"You're right. Did he grab another window? Or did he have help? Ugh, no matter what he did, its seriously creepy." She said.

The two backed away from the window and looked at each other.

"We should probably head back. There's no use sticking around here anymore." Kay said. Kaiba nodded.

"Let's go." He said, walking towards the elevator.

Kay followed him.

"Um...thanks for saving me earlier, Seto..." She said.

Kaiba pressed the elevator button.

"Of course. What do you think I would do if anything had happened to you?" The elevator doors opened. "I don't think I could forgive myself if I anything happen to you." His voice was unusually softer as he spoke the last sentence.

Kay blinked and blushed a little.

"Um...r-right." She muttered as the two entered the elevator.

* * *

**Hurray for corny, dramatic chapters! Bleh...  
I can't say I'm too happy with how this chapter came out...but I hope you guys enjoyed it.**

Well, this arc isn't over yet, but Eternal Snow is coming close to an end. But don't worry. If any of you actually enjoyed Eternal Snow, there's going to be a sequel. And no. It most likely won't be as long as this one. Maybe not even half as long. I dunno. We'll see. But it certianly won't be this long.

**I tried to make a sequel to Eternal Snow a long time ago, but it didn't start out so great and I never finished it, so I'm hoping this one will be even better! I hope you look forward to it!**

**See ya next chappie!  
**


	105. Walking into the Enemies Hands

The dark ceiling did all but comfort Cat.

It was evening now and Cat had decided to go to bed early. But there was too much on her mind.

According to the report from Kay earlier, Tema got away. They were defiantly going to see him again.

Cat sighed and rolled over on her side.

"Ow..." She mumbled, realizing that she had rolled on her hurt arm, which was now treated and wrapped up.

Ignoring her arm, she returned to her thoughts.

She felt better at the fact that everyone now knew about Tema and his plans, unlike before, when she was the only one who knew.

It almost felt like old times. Before Atem was set free from the Millennium Puzzle...and before he regained his lost memories. There were all sorts of bad guys who were after Atem's life.

Malik, Dartz, Bakura...all of them ever succeeded...and Tema was just Bakura's underling. If they were able to defeat Bakura, then they should be able to defeat Tema.

But...things were just slightly different now.

No Millennium Items were involved. There's no "real" Monsters to control. And Tema didn't seem like he was a Duelist. Nor did he seem interested.

Those were some of the ways that they had defeated evil men with.

How were they supposed to defeat Tema? Kill him? Even though that might be the only way to save them all, it left a bad taste in Cat's mouth. She was going to make sure they went through all their options before considering that.

Cat sighed again and rolled back onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Her mind was too full of thoughts and questions. It wasn't letting her sleep.

As the thoughts continued to float around in her head, suddenly, the door to her room opened. It snapped her out of her thoughts and she quickly sat up, surprised.

Light from the doorway filtered into her room. Atem stepped in. He paused when he spotted her.

"I'm sorry Cat. Did I wake you?" He asked.

Cat rubbed her slightly ruffled hair, which was not in its usual ponytail. "No. I couldn't sleep anyways."

"Oh, good. Glad I didn't wake you." He said, closing the door behind him. "I was hoping we could talk a little...if you were awake, that is."

"Sure."

Atem walked over to the side of her bed and sat on it.

"So...how's your arm?"

Cat glanced at her arm.

"Its fine. It only hurts if I apply pressure to it."

"I see."

There was silence.

"Um...you know Atem...even though earlier today didn't end up too great, I'm still glad you got to find out who Tema really was. It makes it easier for us."

"That's true. I'm glad I found out as well. Now I know what to look for."

"Yeah..."

Another pause.

"Atem...what do you think...we should do now?"

"Huh?"

"About Tema? He's running loose. How are we going to defeat him? This is nothing like before."

Atem smiled a little and scooted next to her on the bed.

"We'll just have to do what we can. You trust me, don't you?"

"Yes, but...I'm...just afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of...you getting hurt or disappearing. I trust you, but...I can't shake off this feeling."

"I understand. But don't forget to worry about yourself once in a while too."

"I-I'm...n-not afraid o-of Tema." Cat's voice trembled.

Atem chuckled.

"Alright. But that doesn't mean you can just go and try to handle him by yourself."

"I know. I'm sorry." Cat sighed. "Whenever I try to do that, I end up just being a burden anyways. I'm a crybaby and I'm clumsy, so I always end up getting myself in trouble. So I know I should stop burdening you guys...but every time I have a chance to try and help everyone, I feel like I can do it without needing to be saved."

Atem smiled again and stroked a part of Cat's hair.

"You know Cat. That's okay. I mean...not the part about getting yourself into trouble...but..." He took her chin in his hand. "Most people who start off as "weak" or "a crybaby" or even "clumsy" end up becoming one of the strongest as time goes by. As they grow up."

Cat raised her eyebrow.

"How do you know?"

"You want an example? Well...okay. What about Yugi?"

"Yugi?"

"Before you met him, he was pretty weak himself. He got picked on at school and such. And look at him now. He's a strong, young man."

"Heh, he picked that up from you."

"I guess you could say that. Just as I learned about kindness and compassion from him. And about having important people in your life. Seems like a fair exchange, right?"

Cat smiled. "Yeah. So then, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Atem...you're VERY strong. Was there ever a point where you weren't?"

Atem looked up in thought.

"Of course. When I was a child..."

Cat sweatdropped.

"I think EVERYONE was kinda weak when they were children."

"Well, I wasn't too far off. I don't remember my childhood very well...but I think I must have been in my early teenage years."

"If that's the case, then I guess that's not TOO long."

"Yes. And believe it or not, I was quite the crybaby myself." Atem chuckled.

Cat blinked in almost disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"Yes. And I was a coward too. Maybe even a little clumsy." Atem glanced at Cat. "Not as much as you though." He joked.

Cat's eyelids lowered in unamusement.

"Yeah, not many people are as ditzy as me, I guess."

Atem laughed.

"I'm sorry. But if you really consider me strong...well...look at my childhood. I guess I could count as an example of what I was saying, right?"

"Yeah." Cat smiled a little. "I guess I understand. But...I wouldn't be surprised if not all people like me became strong." She sighed and laid back down. "I guess I can only hope things turn out for the better."

"Well, you have to work at it. That's a part of it."

"I know."

Again, another pause.

"You said that you thought I was strong, right?" Atem asked.

"Yes."

"You do realize...that I have my weaknesses too, right?"

"Everyone has those."

"I know. But..." He sighed. "My mind has been stuck on what Tema reminded me of earlier today."

"What's that?"

"He reminded me of how...I'm struggling."

"Struggling?"

"Yes. Me, wanting to keep you completely safe...but not so much as to where it seems like I'm keeping you prisoner."

"Oh..."

"It's just...I love you...so much...and I don't know what to do, Cat. He might try to capture you again."

"Atem...it's you he's ultimately after. All I'm good, to him, is bait. This goes back on what you tell me all the time. You need to worry about yourself to. He wants to kill you."

"Yes, I know that." Atem leaned over Cat. "But I can worry about myself and have the desire to protect you at the same time. But like I said before...I don't know what to do. I guess...I'm not as strong as you or anyone else may believe. My biggest weakness...may just be my love for you. Maybe...maybe I'm just not strong enough to protect you."

Atem looked pained as he said those words and Cat almost felt heartbroken at the sight.  
She reached up and pulled him down, hugging his head to her chest.

"You're stronger than you think." Cat whispered against his hair. "You're doing just fine at what you always do. Don't doubt yourself. Even when we're not in danger, you're always protective of me. And you do a good job at it. You don't need to try and protect me anymore than you do."

"Naturally, I feel...very protective of you, Cat. And so when a threat like this comes along...I..."

"I understand."

"Yeah."

The two didn't say anything more.

Cat continued to hug Atem's head to her chest.

Before long, Atem fell asleep. It took Cat a moment to realize this though. She looked at him and held him a little tighter.

Tears began to flow from her eyes.

"But...what you don't understand...is that I have the very same need to protect you too...I...wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to you..." She whispered, knowing he couldn't hear her. "You're always protecting others...but what you need is someone to protect you once in a while."

* * *

"OKAY! Operation: "Get-Rid-Of-The-Freak-Of-Nature" is now being planned! Any ideas??"

Kay glanced at everyone.

"Any ideas at all?"

"I say we beat him up and throw him in a dumpster." Jounouchi said lazily, leaning back in his chair, like he usually did.

Kay frowned.

"That's not going to get rid of Tema, Jounouchi. Besides, if it killed him, it would wrong. Not to mention, too troublesome to try and cover up the crime." She said.

"Kay's got a point. We just want to at least send him back to the past. Or cancel whatever spell he's using." Yugi said, looking at Jounouchi. "We don't want to kill him."

Cat sighed and leaned against her desk.

Good. At least they agreed.

"But the problem is, is how would we do that, Yugi?" Honda asked.

"He's right. How would we be able to send him back to the past or cancel the spell or whatever?" Anzu asked.

Everyone stopped to think for a moment.

"I'm not sure." Cat murmured.

"This sounds like something Ishizu may know about." Atem said.

"You're right!" Kay exclaimed. "Ishizu and Marik may know something."

"Those two, huh? We haven't talked to them for a long time." Jounouchi said.

"But how are we going to get ahold of them?" Yugi asked. "We would have to go to Egypt."

"Pssh. That wouldn't be a problem. Me and Seto could get there and back." Kay said.

"Good idea. But you should probably take Atem and Cat with you." Yugi said.

"Huh?" Both Atem and Cat asked at the same time.

"Ishizu will probably want to talk about the situation with you personally, Atem. And knowing you, you probably wouldn't want to leave Cat behind while you're gone and Tema still running about." Yugi explained.

"That's true..." Atem mummered.

"Right. Now all I have to do is talk Seto into letting us go." Kay said. "He hasn't been very busy lately so...hopefully it won't take much to convince him."

"Sounds like a plan to me! And while you guys are away, the rest of us will keep an eye out for Tema and anything suspicious!" Honda said with a grin.

"Okay then! I'll go talk to Seto today. Cat, Atem, I'll contact you guys when I get an answer." Kay said just before the school bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.

* * *

Cat sat silently beside the phone.

"It's almost bedtime...do you think Kay will be able to convince Kaiba?" She asked.

"Well, I don't know." Yugi said, sitting across from her. "But I doubt Kay will give up anytime soon."

"Knowing Kay, that's certainly possible." Atem chuckled, sitting next to Cat.

Cat laughed nervously.

The loud ringing of the phone made the three jump in surprise. Cat quickly answered it.

"H-Hello?"

"We leave tomorrow morning!"

Cat blinked in surprise.

"That early?" She asked.

"Yup!" Kay said. "We gotta use what we can get! It took me FOREVER to convince Seto to let us go!"

"Alright. That should be fine."

"Good. I'll see you two tomorrow morning, alright?"

"Right!"

"Okay then. Bye Cat."

"Bye Kay."

Cat hung up the phone.

"So then? What did Kay say?" Atem asked.

Cat looked at him.  
"We leave first thing tomorrow morning!"

* * *

"Y'know guys...I just dont' feel content with just sitting around while Kay, Cat, Atem and Kaiba are in Egypt." Honda said, taking a bite of his food.

Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu all sat together outside for lunch.

"I know Honda, but there's nothing we can really do right now." Yugi said.

"Course there is! Why don't we go on our own mission while they're away?" Honda suggested.

"What kind of mission are we talkin' about here, Honda?" Jounouchi, who had bothered to put his food down, asked.

"I say..." Honda leaned in. "We go check out Tema's building ourselves."

Everyone stared at him in surprise.

"Honda! That's a terrible idea!" Anzu scolded. "Cat tried the same thing and you know what happened! We can't risk anyone getting hurt!"

"Yeah, but its not like we're Tema's targets or anything. Plus none of us have any real connect to "the ancient past" or whatever." Honda explained.

"Never-the-less, Honda, Anzu's right. We might not have any connections to the past, but Tema knows who we are. He knows we're friends with Atem, Cat, Kay and Kaiba." Yugi said. "And he knows that we know who he really is. I wouldn't doubt it if he tired to hurt us."

"So then we'll play it safe." Honda said. "Its not like his employees are the same as Tema, right? If we just went up to the front desk and asked if Tema was in, and he was, then we would leave. But if he wasn't, then it would be the perfect chance to look around."

"Y'know...that may not be a bad idea." Jounouchi said with a grin. "Good thinking Honda!"

The two high-fived.

"But it's still risky, you two!" Anzu pointed out.

"Aw, c'mon! Before the Pharaoh regained his memories, we were livin' and breathin' risk and danger! What's to stop us now?" Jounouchi asked.

Anzu sighed heavily.

"Ugh, the fact that a little peace would be nice?"

"Well, we aren't gonna get any peace around here as long as Tema is still running around, Anzu." Honda pointed out.

Anzu frowned at Honda for a moment before sighing again, her face calming down.

"Fine. We can try it out after school."

"YEAH!" Both Jounouchi and Honda cried happily.

"What do you think about all this, Yugi?" Anzu asked, looking at Yugi.

Yugi was looking down at his food in thought.

"Well...as long as we're careful...and as long as we leave if Tema is there, then it should be fine, I guess."

"Awright! Operation: "Spy on Tema's stuff" is now in progress!" Jounouchi cried.

Honda sweatdropped.

"Dude...that's a horrible name..."

"Shaddap Honda."

* * *

The familiar sands of Egypt blew past the three as they hopped off the Kaiba Corp. jet.

"Looks like this is our stop." Kay said, stretching her arms.

The four stood outside of the city of Cairo.

"Now all we have to do is find Ishizu and Marik." Cat said, staring at the city.

Kaiba was the last to get off the jet.

"Alright. I brought you here. Now how long do you plan on staying?" He asked.

"Oh...you know...about a week." Kay said innocently.

"What?! You said it would be two days at the very most!"

Kay laughed. "I was just kidding Seto. We're probably going to stay here for one night and leave tomorrow morning. So find a place to put your jet." She said.

"Well, now that we're ready, should we start looking?" Atem asked.

Cat looked up at him.

"Ready when you are."

Kay jumped up next to them.

"Alright! Let's go then!"

Atem and Cat held each others hands as they began to walk into the Egyptian city.

* * *

"Okay guys. Remember the plan and stick to it." Yugi said as the four climbed the steps up to Tema's company building.

"Yeah, yeah, we know Yug." Jounouchi said lazily.

After reaching the top of the stairs, the four entered the building. They headed towards the man, who was sitting at the front desk, doing some paperwork.

"Excuse me."

The man looked up at the four friends.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"We were wondering if Tema was in today." Anzu said.

"I am afraid Mr. Tema is not in today. He had a business meeting to attend to." The man answered.

"Well, is it possible we could have a tour of the building?" Yugi asked.

The man eyed the four and his eyes turned cold for a brief moment.

"Sure. Just enter the elevator to my left and go to the 13th floor." The man said, looking back down at his papers.

"Alright! Thanks!" Jounouchi said with a grin and ran to the elevator, the other three following.

The man glanced at the elevator and watched Yugi, Honda, Jounouchi and Anzu enter the elevator. Once the doors were shut and they were gone, the man pressed a button on his phone.

"Riko...have Master Tema come to the 13th floor and prepare yourselves. Four of the Pharaoh's friends are here and on their way to the 13th floor."

* * *

**Finally...another update done.  
Ugh, sorry for the cheesy drama at the beginning of the chapter...I'll try not to add anymore cheesy drama scenes. lol  
Well, I hope you enjoyed it! :D I don't have much to say today so...yeah.  
See ya next chappie!  
**


	106. Looking for the Answer

"Ooooookay...we've been walking through this city for an hour and a half now. And we haven't found Ishizu." Kay sighed heavily and flopped down onto a bench, sweating. "It's freakin' hot out here too..."

"Well, it is the desert...maybe if we tried to look up her home?" Cat suggested, wiping her forehead.

"I dunno about that. It's not like we can look it up in some phone book." Kay paused. "Well...it's not like we could even read the phone book either."

"Why not? I can read Egyptian." Atem said.

"Um, not quite, Atem." Kay replied. "Modern Egyptians don't use ANCIENT Egyptian hieroglyphics anymore."

"Oh."

Everyone was silent in thought for a moment.

Kaiba just stood there, arms crossed over his chest.

"I can't believe you three just charged into Egypt to find someone like this. You don't even know where she lives. Nice planning."

"I don't wanna hear that from you, Seto." Kay mummered before sighing again. "Lets at least take a break. I'm tired."

"Me too." Cat said and looked around. "You know...there are a lot of shops around here. I'll go buy us a few pieces of fruit."

She turned and headed towards a street. Atem caught her shoulder.  
"Wait, shouldn't I go with you?" He asked.

"It's okay Atem. You go sit down and rest. I'll only be around the corner." She laughed lightly.

Atem released her shoulder.  
"Alright." He mummered.

Cat continued on.

Kay glanced at Atem when he sat next to her.

"Y'know Atem...its not like Tema's here or anything." She said.

"I know." Atem replied.

* * *

Cat entered a small shop, which had tons of fruit. There were a few people inside.

She smiled a little and walked up to one of the containers of fruit. She picked one up and examined it.

It was a crate full of dates. She could probably grab a few of these and...

She paused. There was a voice she heard. A voice she recognized. She turned a little and looked around the shop.

Her eyes locked onto two figures and she gasped, dropping the date she was holding back into the crate.

* * *

"That's weird. This looks like a work place. Why is it so empty?"

Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu glanced around the room. It was full of desks, chairs, counters, tables, computers, papers and such.

"How strange. Do you think the floor was cleared so we could look around?" Yugi asked.

"Possible...but when you think about it, it doesn't make sense." Honda said.

"Yeah. Usually you would want employees around to make sure visitors didn't do anything wrong." Anzu said.

"Well...while we're here, we might as well take a look around." Jounouchi suggested.

"Might as well." Honda agreed.

Before the four could take their first step, the loud "ding" of a nearby elevator went off. They all froze and looked in the direction of the elevator.

This elevator was different from the one they took. It was much, much larger. Probably there for taking things up to different floors.

The doors to the elevator slowly opened and revealed a ton of the company's employee's.

Once the doors were open wide enough, the men ran into the room, suddenly surrounding the four friends.

"Wha?! What's goin' on here?!" Jounouchi cried.

A small opening in the circle of men appeared, allowing one man to walk through and into the circle.

"Y-You!" Yugi exclaimed.

Tema grinned and stepped forward, the gap behind him, closing.

"I'm glad you all came to visit today." He said.

"Hey! The man at the front desk said you weren't in today! What are you doing here?!" Honda asked.

"Hm. You're more foolish than I first though. Isn't it obvious? All these men work for me. Of course they would lie to you." Tema replied. "All of my employee's work for me. And not only for my company."

Jounouchi scowled at Tema and punched a nearby wall in frustration.

"Darn it!" He hissed. "We did the same thing as Cat."

"I warned you." Anzu muttered to Jounouchi.

"Now's not the time to be rubbing anything in, Anzu." Jounouchi growled.

"Well then. What should I do with you four? Hmm. I could kill you now. But...that wouldn't be any fun. At least not without the Pharaoh to witness it." Tema mused out loud. "I suppose I'll just have to stick with holding you all hostage."

"Good luck with that! The Pharaoh isn't even in the country right now!" Honda snapped.

"Oh? And you think that'll change anything? Guess again. I can hold onto you all for as long as I need to." Tema said darkly.

The employee's began to move onto the four.

"Back off!" Jounochi snapped and punched one of the men. Honda did the same.

"Don't waste your energy my friends." Tema said. "But if it'll make things easier, go ahead."

It wasn't long until Yugi, Honda and Anzu were captured. Jounouchi kept on fighting, refusing to give up. Even though he was starting to grow tired.

Tema just stood there. Growing impatient.  
"You fools, just gang up on him all at once! I grow tired of waiting!" He snapped.

The men did what they were told and Jounouchi was finally caught.

"What should we do with them, sir?" One of the employee's asked.

"Tie them up and lock them in the 37th floor. No one will be able to find them there." Tema answered.

The men nodded and dragged the four towards an elevator.

* * *

"Marik! Rishid!"

Cat ran up to the two men.

Marik and Rishid stopped and turned around. Marik blinked in surprise.

"You...uh...Cat, right?" Marik asked.

Cat smiled and nodded once.

"Yes. It's been a while." She said.

Marik returned the smile.

"Indeed it has! Imagine my surprise to find you here in Egypt!" He said.

Cat laughed a little.

"Yes, I know." She looked at Rishid. "It's good to see you again too, Rishid."

Rishid smiled a little.

"Well met." He said. "I'm glad to see you are doing well."

"So tell me Cat. What brings you to Egypt? Surely you aren't by yourself, right?" Marik asked.

Cat laughed.

"A trouble magnet like me? Alone? Of course not! I came here with Atem, Kay and Kaiba."

Marik looked surprised.

"The Pharaoh?" He asked.

"Yes."

"But I thought he..."

"He did...Oh! You don't know about what happened after that, do you?" Cat asked. "We'll have to tell you the story."

"Yes, I would like to hear it." Marik said with a smile.

"Ah...yes, before I go off track again...we came here to see your sister. Ishizu." Cat said. "I'm very happy I ran into you. We had no idea where she lived."

She laughed weakly.

"Ishizu will be happy to see you all. And I'm sure she would like to know why the Pharaoh is here as well. We don't live far from here. Let's go to the others and we'll take you all to our home." Marik said.

"Thank you very much, Marik. Rishid."

* * *

The room was very silent. The four friends were surrounded by Ancient Egyptian artifacts.

"Guys...I'm sorry...this is my fault. I should have known better than to try and sneak in here." Jounouchi said, looking down at his lap.

"It's alright Jounouchi." Yugi said. "We'll find a way out soon."

"Easier said than done. We're tied up in a locked the 37th floor of an evil mastermind's company building. There's no windows. And even if we were able to get past the locked door, the place is crawling with Tema's henchmen. Plus I have a feeling that Tema may live here. I doubt he would leave us here unguarded. Oh. And let's not forget about the man who occasionally comes in to check on us." Honda said. "We're doomed."

Anzu frowned at him.  
"Stop being such a pessimist Honda!" She snapped. "We have to try and stay positive. Right now we should focus on figuring out how to escape."

"Be realistic Anzu! Does it look like there's a way to escape?" Honda snapped back.

"C'mon you two! Don't fight! It won't do us any good." Yugi said.

"Yug's right guys. Knock it off." Jounouchi said.

Honda and Anzu frowned a little, but said nothing.

"Do you guys think we'll be able to find a way out of here without being caught?" Jounouchi asked.

"It's possible. But how do we know that we're not being watched right now?" Yugi asked.

"There aren't any security cameras in here." Anzu pointed out.

"But what if they're hidden?" Honda asked.

"They shouldn't be. All the security camera's were visible all over the building." Anzu explained. "At least what we've seen. Besides. If there were any in here, why would they need a man to come in and check on us every hour?"

"That's true! So that means we AREN'T being watched! Awesome!" Jounouchi cried happily. "Now what?"

"Well...this floor is pretty big. And we haven't seen all of it. Why don't we take a look around." Yugi suggested, standing up slowly.

"Wait...when was the last time a man came in here and check on us?" Anzu asked.

Honda thought for a moment.  
"About...30 minutes ago?" He replied.

"Okay. We have time. Better hurry Yug." Jounouchi said.

Yugi nodded and began to walk around.

* * *

"Ah...I understand now. Well...it is good to see you again, my Pharaoh."

Everyone was sitting in Ishizu, Marik and Rishid's house.

"Thank you Ishizu." Atem said.

Ishizu nodded once.

"Now then. There was something you wished to speak to me about?" She asked.

"Yes. Ishizu. Are you familiar with the name, "Tema"?" Atem asked.

Ishizu thought for a moment.  
"Yes...I am. This is about him?" She asked.

"Yup. You probably know the story. He's been terrorizing us recently." Kay said.

"Oh my. I never thought it would happen. Since I believed that the Pharaoh was in the after life." Ishizu said, looking a little worried.

"So then you do know the story." Kaiba said.

"Yes. I do. The man who wants to kill the Pharaoh. The man who worked for the Thief King and put a spell on himself so he would awaken when the Pharaoh was re-awakened." Ishizu muttered. Mostly to herself.

"We came here because we want to learn how we can defeat him." Cat said.

"He's already harmed Cat. If it wasn't for Kay and Kaiba, both me and Cat would probably be dead now." Atem explained. "If not that, than at least one of us."

"I see. It's gotten that close, huh? Hm. Please give me a moment to try and remember. There was one way to break the spell and cause him to disappear." Ishizu said.

"So another man is after your life..." Marik said. "It seems like a lot of people are out to get you. I'm sorry I was one of them at one time, Pharaoh."

"It's fine Marik. That's in the past." Atem said, smiling kindly.

Ishizu stood up.

"I believe what we're looking for is written in one of the ancient scrolls in my personal library. Please excuse me for a moment while I go look." She said before turning and leaving into another room.

Cat looked at Atem, worried.

Atem caught her glance.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Do you...think we'll be able to stop Tema?" Cat asked.

Atem smiled.

"Of course. Don't worry about it." He said.

Kay sighed.

"Whatever the answer to defeating Tema is, I'll bet you anything that it's going to be really hard to do." She said.

"I'm not worried." Kaiba said.

"You're almost never worried. You're only worried when it comes to Mokuba." She paused. "Or me."

Kaiba blushed a little and frowned.

"You make it sound like I'm usually emotionless." He said.

Kay grinned a little.

"Occasionally, yes. You are." She said.

Marik examined the four.

"You two," He pointed at Atem and Cat. "And you two," He then pointed at Kaiba and Kay. "Are together, right?"

The four stared at Marik.

"Yes." Cat said.

"I thought so. But it doesn't come as a surprise. Back in the Battle City Tournament, I could see that it was certianly possible." Marik said.

"How so?" Kay asked.

"Well, you and Kaiba were obviously close. Kaiba treated you very differently from everyone else. Not including his younger brother." Marik explained. "As you mentioned earlier, Kaiba seemed a little emotionless. Yet always had the, "I'm in command" or "I'm better than you all" attitude."

Kaiba frowned a little.

"But with you, Kay. He actually had some real emotion. Warm emotion." Marik continued. "Even though it was a little hard to see."

Kay blinked, dumbfounded.

"I never really thought you were the type to examine people." She said.

Marik shrugged.

"And you, Pharaoh. Well, on the dueling field, you always had that "dominate", "cocky" and "aggresive" attitude. And that wasn't always on the dueling field either. You always seemed serious. Unless you were with your friends. You had a softer attitude around them." He said. "But the thing that stood out was how you looked at Cat. And how you treated her."

"How did he look at her? Like he was completely and utterly head-over-heels in love for her?" Kay joked, fluttering her eyelashes in an over dramatic fashion.

Atem shot Kay a look and she only snickered.

Marik sweatdropped.

"Well...no...not as intense as that." He said. "More like "tenderly". That was the only time I had ever seen him treat anyone in a tender matter. And I didn't think it was possible, at the time, with how he was. So I guess it stood out a lot."

"I'm just surprised that you "saw" all this." Kay said.

"At the time, I didn't really care though. Obviously. I didn't see it a lot. I was more focused on trying to kill the Pharaoh." Marik said.

"Yeeeaaahhh." Kay mummered.

Not a moment later, Ishizu walked back into the room.

"Alright. I have the answer."

* * *

"About time you got back! That guard is probably gonna come and check on us any minute now!" Jounouchi said as Yugi walked back to his friends.

"Glad I'm back on time then." Yugi said, sitting back where he was before.

"So? How did it go?" Honda asked.

"Well...I found a way to escape. But we need to make a plan first. Its not going to be easy." Yugi explained. "I found a door that leads to the roof of the building. And it's unlocked. We just need to make a plan from there."

"Alright! Nice find Yug!" Jounouchi cried happily.

"Shh!" Anzu hissed.

Footsteps were heard on the staircase, which lead to the 37th floor.

The door opened and one of Tema's employee's stepped in.

The four friends and employee stared hard at each other. The man stayed there for five more minutes before leaving.

When they were sure he was gone far enough, they all sighed.

"Anyways. Let's start thinking of a plan guys." Yugi said.

The other three nodded once at the same time.

* * *

**Sorry it took me a while to do a chapter. I hope you all liked it though! :D  
I don't have much to say about this one so...yup.  
See ya next chappie! :D**


	107. Ashem

"That? You want us to use THAT?!"

The item in Ishizu's hands was a necklace. A necklace that looked like it was around in the ancient times. On the necklace was a red pendant.

"Yes." Ishizu nodded. "This pendant is one of the thousands of pendants the ancient Egyptian sorcerers used to de-spell magic spells. Although, they usually lost their power after being used."

"Whoa, wait a minute. Ishizu...if they lost their power after being used, then wouldn't this one be useless?" Kay asked. "I would assume that there aren't any new ones out there."

"That is true." Ishizu said. "But, apparently, this one still has some power left in it."

"How is that possible?" Atem asked.

"The only possibility me and my brother were able to think up, was that this one must have never been used. It was found it in a tomb. As you may know, items found in tombs were placed there so the deceased could take those items with them in the afterlife. This pendant doesn't have much power, but it should have enough." Ishizu explained.

"Doesn't have much power? If it was never used then...why?" Cat asked.

"This pendant is around 2,000 years old. It shouldn't come as much as a surprised to see that some of it's power has faded with time." Ishizu answered.

"Well...sounds good to me! Should we go?" Kay asked.

"Hold on, Kay." Ishizu said. "It's not that simple."

"Since it's a necklace, we can only assume that all we have to do is get Tema to wear it, correct? How can it not be simple?" Kaiba asked, his arms and legs crossed, looking uninterested.

"There are two requirements and one warning I need to share with you all first." Ishizu said.

"Requirements? Uh-oh, I knew this wasn't going to be easy." Kay mummered.

"Sure, it doesn't make it easier, but it doesn't make it much harder either. This all has to be done by the Pharaoh, anyways." Marik explained.

Atem blinked.

"Me?" He asked. "Only me?"

Marik nodded.

"Only those with pure Egyptian blood can use this. You are Pharaoh. There is no doubt you will be able to use this." Ishizu explained.

"Okay then. We have one requirement. What's the second one?" Cat asked.

"Once the pendant is placed around Tema's neck, it was start to glow. The Pharaoh must then cry the word, _ashem_."

"_Ashem_...? Um...what does that mean?"

"It's Ancient Egyptian for, "Destroy". It refers to "destroying the spell"."

"That makes more sense."

Ishizu handed the pendant to Atem.

"I word of warning for you is this: Be careful. I am sure Tema will know what this pendant is and what it does. It will be hard to try and place it around his neck." She said.

Atem nodded.

"Thank you. We'll do our best."

Ishizu smiled at everyone.

"I am happy we were all able to meet again. I wish you all luck. And please do be careful. Tema is a dangerous man." She said.

"You can say that again." Kay said with her arms crossed.

"Alright guys. We'll head back to Domino city tomorrow morning." Atem said.

* * *

Quiet, but clear, footsteps were heard.

One of the employees from Tema's company peeked into the room where Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu were being held captive.

"Hmph. The kids are just sleeping." The man said before yawning. "Well...it is 5:00am...I ought to be asleep too."

The man continued to mutter to himself before he left. Once his footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, Anzu and Yugi sat up.

"Alright! This is our chance!" Yugi hissed.  
Anzu nodded and glanced at Jounouchi and Honda to see if they were ready as well. But they weren't sitting up.

The two friends glanced down at Jounouchi and Honda. They were really sleeping! The boys snored.

Anzu frowned a little and nudged the two with her foot.  
"Hey!" She hissed. "Wake up! NOW!"

Honda slowly opened his eyes and sat up tiredly.  
"Wha...? I'm...I'm awake." He yawned.

"Good! But we don't have much time! We only have an hour! Jounouchi needs to wake up!" Anzu whispered frantically.

"Leave that to me." Honda said, sounding more awake.

He scooted around so he was facing Jounouchi and swiftly kicked him in the face.

"OW!" Jounouchi yelled, sitting up quickly. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"SHHH!" Yugi, Honda and Anzu hissed at Jounouchi.

Jounouchi quickly shut his mouth tightly after remembering what was going on.

"Alright gang." Yugi whispered. "We don't have much time. First we gotta get out of these ropes. Follow me."

The four slowly stood up and walked further into the room.

After a moment of walking, Yugi stopped.  
"Here it is." He said, looking at a stone statue. "Look. The statue is holding a spear. I'm pretty sure it's sharp. Although, I can't reach it."

"Allow me." Jounouchi said, walking up to the statue. Turning around, he carefully rubbed the ropes against the spear. Not too long after, the ropes broke loose. "Aw right!"

"Nice going Jounouchi!" Yugi cried with a smile.

Jounouchi grinned and began to untie everyone else.  
Once everyone was free, they ran towards the back of the room, where the exit was.

"Finally! Fresh air!" Honda cried when they reached the rooftop.

"It's kinda dark out though." Yugi pointed out.

"Remember what the employee said? It's around 5:00am. The sun will be rising very soon." Anzu said.

"Okay. We made it out here. Now what?" Jounouchi asked.

"We need to look around the area. Since this is our first time up here and we need to see if there's a way down without being detected." Yugi explained.

* * *

*brrriiinnng...* *brrrriiiiinnnnggg.....*

Kay pulled on her PJ top and sighed, walking over to the table to where her cell phone was.

"It's past 10pm! Who would be calling me so late..." She muttered and answered her phone. "Hello?"

_"Kay! Kay, it's terrible!" _

Kay blinked.

"M-Mr. Motou?" She gasped. "Wha...? What's wrong?"

_"I-Its Yugi and the others!"_

"Why? What happened to them?!"

_"Ever since they left for school yesterday, they haven't come home!" _

_Yesterday? Oh, right. We're not in Japan anymore. We're in Africa. But Mr. Motou sounds so tired...did he sleep at all?_

"Oh no..." Kay murmmered. "Do you know where they might be?"

_"I'm not sure. But I wouldn't doubt Tema has something to do with all this!"_

"You might be right Mr. Motou. Did you tell Atem and Cat about this?"

_"I wasn't able to get a hold of them. So I called you. Thank goodness you answered."_

"I see. I'll go and everyone else. Don't worry Mr. Motou. We'll be back as soon as we can! In the meantime, you sound so tired. Try and rest, okay?"

_"I don't know if I can. I'm just so worried about the kids."_

"I understand. It's okay. But do try and rest. If Tema really is behind all this, then he won't hurt them. They should be safe. But like I said, try and get some rest."

_"Alright. Thank you Kay."_

The two hung up.

Kay quickly tossed her cellphone onto her bed and ran into the next room.

"Seto!"

Kaiba was sitting at a table, typing on his laptop. He looked up at Kay.

"What is it?" He asked.

Kay sweatdropped.

"Oh. You were planning another all-nighter, weren't you?" She mummered before shaking her head. "No! That's not important right now! We need to get back to Domino as soon as we can!"

"Why?" He asked. "Can't you wait until tomorrow morning?"

"I'm afraid not. Mr. Motou just called me. He said that ever since Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu left for school, earlier, they haven't come home. At it's past 5:00am over in Domino City." Kay explained. "We both believe Tema might be behind this."

Kaiba sighed.

"Fine." He said, closing his laptop. "If we need to get back soon, then I guess we can head out tonight. I don't know if the other two will be very happy about it though."

"If they really want to sleep, they can sleep on the way. This is an emergency!" Kay cried. "Are you awake enough to fly us all the way back to Domino?"

Kaiba was putting his stuff away.  
"Yes. I can do that. I'll call Mokuba and tell him to look around Domino in the Kaiba Corp. helicopter." He said.

"What good will that do? They could be in a building for all we know!" Kay pointed out.

"But they might not be. While we're on our way, Mokuba can cover the unlikely part of the search. It can't hurt to at least look. Or would you rather I didn't call Mokuba?"

"No, no...that's fine. Call Mokie. But while you're doing that, I'll go tell the other two."

Kay quickly left the room and knocked on Atem's door.  
Atem answered the door, looking very sleepy.

Cat and Atem had went to bed earlier than Kay.

"Kay...?" He mummered tiredly. "What is it?"

"Pack your things, we need to get back to Domino and fast." Kay said.

"Why?"

"I just got a call from Yugi's grandpa! Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda and Anzu are missing! And we believe Tema is responsible for this!"

Atem rubbed his face and blinked a couple of times before he looked awake again.

"What?! But how?!"

"I don't know what happened and neither does Mr. Motou! All I know is that we should be getting ready to head back home now!" Kay exclaimed.

"Right!" Atem said before heading back into his room.

* * *

"Ugh! I can't find a single way down!"

"Me either."

Yugi sighed.

"Maybe we're really stuck." He said.

"Hey, we can't give up! We've come so far!" Jounouchi cried.

"But what else can we do? There's no way down! We're stuck here!" Anzu said.

"And our time is almost up." Yugi added in.

"I don't care! There's gotta be a way outta here! I refuse to be Tema's hostage any longer!" Jounouchi snapped.

"We may not have a choice, man. Unless some miracle happens, we're stuck." Honda said calmly.

"That's all we can hope for." Yugi murmmered.

"Well then start hopin'!" Jounouchi yelled.

There was a minute of silence between the four.

"Hey guys...is it me, or is that helicopter coming this way?" Anzu asked, looking at a black helicopter that was indeed heading towards the rooftop.

"Oh man! We'd better hope those guys are on our side!" Jounouchi exclaimed.

"What are the chances of that?!" Honda cried. "They probably work for Tema too!"

The helicopter came closer. A wind started to pick up.

"What do we do guys?!" Anzu yelled above the noise.

"No point in running away now! We've been caught!" Honda shouted.

"Hang on a minute guys!" Yugi yelled. "Look! I think this is our miracle!"

The helicopter slowly landed on the rooftop. But it wasn't just any helicopter...it was a Kaiba Corp. helicopter!

The door opened and Mokuba stepped out.

"There you are! Seto called me from Egypt to look for you guys by sky!" He said.

"Kaiba did? But...how did he know we were being held hostage?" Yugi asked.

"According to Seto, your grandpa called Kay and told her that you guys have been missing." Mokuba explained. "Seto, Kay, Cat and Atem are on their way back to Domino right now."

"Well that's great and all...but don't you think we should be leaving? Now?" Honda asked.

"He's right. I wouldn't be surprised if Tema's company noticed your helicopter Mokuba!" Yugi said.

"Then there's no time to lose! Hop on guys!" Mokuba said, jumping back into the helicopter. Anzu, Jounouchi, Yugi and Honda followed and they took off.

* * *

"So, uh...how's Cat?"

"Still asleep." Atem answered, glancing at Cat who was leaning against his shoulder, asleep.

Kay sweatdropped.

"Geez, Cat's such a weird sleeper. One night she's a lighter sleeper, the next, she sleeps like a rock and nothing can wake her up." She said. "I don't think she even realizes that our friends have been kidnapped."

"Well, she IS very tired." Atem said.

"True. I've never seen anyone fall asleep while packing their suitcase. Nor did I think it would ever be so funny...that is, until I had to pack her suitcase for her." Kay said thoughtfully.

Atem sighed at this and shook his head.

Before anymore comments were made, the soft ring of a cell phone came up.

"Kay, you can answer that for me, right?" Kaiba asked, focusing on his flying.

"Yeah, sure, but...you can actually receive calls up here?" Kay asked.

"Just answer it. It's from Mokuba." Kaiba murmmered.

"I would ask how you know it's from him...but...nevermind." Kay said, picking up Kaiba's phone and answering it. "Hello?"

_"Kay?"_

"Hey Mokie! What's up?" Kay asked, glancing at Kaiba for a second, her eyebrow raised.

Atem chuckled quietly and Kay ignored him.

_"I have some good news for you all. While I was checking out Domino City from the Kaiba Corp. helicopter, I found Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda!"_

"You WHAT!? Mokie that's GREAT news!"

_"Heh, heh. It is, isn't it? Everyone's suspicions were correct. Tema was behind this. I found them on the rooftop of Tema's company building. According to them, Tema held them all hostage on the 37th floor. An employee would check on them once in a while, and while the employee wasn't there, Yugi took a look around. There was a doorway which led to the rooftop. So they made their escape through there."_

"Wow. Were they on their way down from the rooftop when you found them?"

_"No. They were actually about to lose all hope. There wasn't a way down from the rooftop without being detected by Tema or one of his henchmen. I guess they were really lucky that I happened to have spotted them."_

"They were VERY lucky, Mokie. Anyways, we're on our way back to Domino City. So we'll see you when we get home, okay?"

_"Alright. We'll all meet up at Mr. Motou's game shop, okay?"_

"Sounds good. Bye Mokie."

_"Bye."_

*beep*

Kay hung up the cell phone and smiled brightly.

"So what did Mokuba have to say?" Atem asked.

"Amazing news guys. Mokuba found and rescued Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda!" Kay announced cheerfully.

"He...He did?! Kay, that's great!" Atem said with a wide grin. "Tell us the details!"

Kay smiled.

"No problem."

* * *

The sun shined brightly down on the Game Shop. It was a beautiful day.

"Even though I'm really happy you all are safe, what you did still wasn't smart." Atem said sternly, arms crossed over his chest.

Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda looked sheepish.

"I know. Sorry." Yugi apologized.

"It was my fault for bringing the idea up in the first place." Honda admitted. "Sorry. Anzu tried to tell us that it wasn't a good idea."

"Yeah, and I went along with Honda." Jounouchi mummered.

"Y'know. I figured you were all smart enough to know that it was too dangerous." Kay said, a slight disappointed look on her face and arms crossed.

"Well, what's done is done. I just hope you all learned a lesson through all this." Yugi's grandfather said.

Yugi, Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda all nodded.

"Alright. Enough pity parties. I have work to do, so if you'll excuse me." Kaiba said before turning to leave.

Everyone watched him leave.

Jounouchi huffed angrily.

"Hmph! That Kaiba! He still hasn't changed!" He snapped. "Thinks he's too high and mighty to be around us!"

"Get over it Jounouchi. It's always been like that." Honda said.

"Still!" Jounouchi growled.

"Kay? Aren't you going to go back with him?" Cat asked.

Kay looked at Cat.

"Oh...yeah. Soon. I'd figure I'd stick around and help you and Atem fill these four with the details about defeating Tema before I left." She answered before yawning. "And when I get back home, I'm going to take a nap. I only got a little sleep on the way back to Domino. YOU on the other hand, Cat, slept through everything!"

Cat grinned sheepishly.

"Well...I was tired." She said.

"That's no excuse!" Jounouchi cried, jumping in on the girls' conversation. "Me and the other three were in danger! And all you did was sleep!"

Cat held up her hands in defense and smiled weakly.  
"I-I'm sorry! It's not like I meant or wanted to miss everything!" She said.

"She's right Jounouchi. She was just very tired from the trip. And she had to leave when she finally fell asleep. It couldn't be helped." Atem said.

Jounouchi sighed.

"Okay, fine. I'll let it slide." He mummered.

"Why are you so riled up today anyways, Jounouchi?" Kay asked.

"It's just one of those days, is all." Yugi said calmly.

"Hmph! Call it what you like." Jounouchi mummered, arms crossed over his chest.

Atem's face then turned serious.

"Anyways. It's a good thing we had gotten what we needed before we returned." He said. "Thanks to Ishizu, Marik and Rishid, we were able to obtain the item and information we need in order to defeat Tema."

After his words, everyone's faced turned serious as well.

"I'll start off by saying that whatever plan we come up with, it won't exactly be easy...but if we work together and do it right, then we will be successful." Atem explained.

Everyone listened quietly.

"Okay. I'll explain how we can defeat Tema."

* * *

**I updated! Aren't you so proud of me? :D Lol  
Anyways, the Tema arc is almost done. Which means the story itself is almost done!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
**

**See you next chappie! ;)  
**


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